The popular children’s toys known as “squishies” have been banned by the Danish government because they say they contain high levels of harmful chemicals. The Danish Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) conducted tests on 12 of the toys earlier this year and found they all contained high concentrations of substances such as dimethylformamide, styrene and, toluene, according to a release by the Danish Ministry of Environment and Food in June. The chemicals can impair fertility, act as carcinogens, cause liver damage, and irritate the mucous membrane or eyes, the department said. The EPA began testing the squishy toys, which are made of foam and resemble stress balls, in March over concerns about the toys’ strong scent. The agency analyzed concentrations of the emitted chemicals in scenarios such as a child falling asleep hugging the toy for an hour or where a child is exposed to several of the toys at once in a bedroom. The tested products were purchased at toy stores, smaller shops and Danish and foreign online shops, the ministry said. As a result of the EPA’s findings, the government directed all distributors and importers to remove squishies from their shelves. “When all twelve toys contain high amounts of harmful substances, alarm bells begin to go off. This indicates that there may be an overall problem with all squishies on the market,” Minister for Environment and Food Jakob Ellemann-Jensen said in the notice. Ellemann-Jensen said the toys shouldn’t be allowed to return to market until it can be documented that they don’t emit substances harmful to children. “The toy industry is responsible for ensuring that the products they sell are legal and do not contain harmful chemicals,” he said. “In this case, we’re talking about serious violations, where children breathe in substances that may cause mucous membrane irritation and which may, in the long term, be harmful for fertility and cause liver damage.” The results of the test have been shared with all EU member states to ensure they’re aware of the potential risks, the department said. Days after the ministry released its directive, the trade association Toy Industries of Europe reviewed the EPA’s test and came out with its own report. The association concluded that the risk of exposure was “unreasonably overstated” in the EPA’s findings. The organization also said the exposure scenarios were unrealistic and faulted the EPA for only testing 12 of the toys. Squishies are popular in Canada among young children and are widely available in stores and online. Health Canada did not immediately respond to CTVNews.ca’s request for comment on squishies, and if they’re looking into the safety of the toys.
