Consumer authority recalls slime toys due to high levels of boron

The Malta Competition and Consumer Affairs Authority (MCCAA) has issued a public warning following the withdrawal of three toy products from the local market.

The three toys – Unicorn Slime, Putty Slime and Slime Crystal, are being recalled as they contain high levels of boron, a chemical that, in excessive amounts can pose significant health risks to children.

Ingestion or prolonged contact with boron can lead to serious health concerns, including damage to the reproductive system.

Such tests were part of an EU Commission’s project named CASP (Coordinated Activities on the Safety of Products) where each participating Member State, including Malta, has tested slime toys for the presence of dangerous chemicals.

As a result, the MCCAA has taken the appropriate procedures to ensure that these products are removed from the local market with immediate effect.

Consumers who have bought any of the above-mentioned products should refrain from using them and, where possible, return them to the retailer from where they purchased them. Retailers are obliged to redress consumers, either by replacing the non-compliant product with a similar one or if such a replacement is not possible, by offering full refund of the amount paid.

Consumers are reminded to check the Safety Gate platform found here before purchasing products in case the product they are about to purchase is a recalled one.

In case of queries relating to the products being recalled kindly get in touch with the Market Surveillance Directorate on [email protected].

In case of queries relating to the remedies available to consumers who have purchased the recalled products, kindly get in touch with the Office for Consumer Affairs on [email protected].