We can only inform that there are likely risks associated with shopping here, says Daniel Ahlström at the Chemicals Agency.
Shoes with over 200 times higher levels of hormone-disrupting phthalates than allowed. Hats with double the levels of the cancer-causing substance formaldehyde than the permitted limit. The authorities in South Korea have once again inspected products from the platforms Shein, Temu, and Aliexpress, reports the news agency AFP.
In May, high levels of toxic substances were found in products for children, far exceeding the permitted levels. At that time, they had inspected over 90 products from the same sites, where nearly half contained hazardous substances.
"A problem"
In Sweden, low-price giants Shein and Temu have steadily gained ground, to the extent that the Swedish Trade Federation went out and warned last summer that these sites threaten Swedish companies and jobs. Consumers also risk buying products of poor quality since they are subject to different regulations.
The Chemicals Agency regularly conducts supervision projects that include e-commerce actors. During inspections of products from Shein in 2023 and 2022, some have passed without comment, while others have been found to contain substances above the permitted limits, including various phthalates and traces of lead.
In products from Temu, they have also found high levels of phthalates and cadmium.
The Chemicals Agency notes that there is a problem with this type of company.
What you can think about as a consumer is that a product you might buy from one of these platforms may not meet the requirements that exist on the European market since the product comes from a country outside Europe, says Daniel Ahlström, an inspector at the Chemicals Agency.
Information to the public
It is impossible to control the entire market in Sweden, the Chemicals Agency works with random sampling. If they find something that deviates, they contact the platforms directly.
Then they have to remove the products that we have found defects in, and most platforms do that when we contact them.
It is also important that consumers become aware so they have the opportunity to make an informed decision.
At the same time, the authority cannot control what people buy, notes Daniel Ahlström.
We can only inform that there are likely risks associated with shopping here and that you need to be aware of it, he says.
The Chemicals Agency has found several different toxic substances among products from both Shein and Temu, including:
Phthalates: A group of substances where not all are hazardous. In random sampling, they have found phthalates such as DBP and DIBP, which can affect reproductive ability.
Lead: A toxic substance that is not allowed to be used in certain products. It can, for example, damage the nervous system and affect, for example, learning ability. Fetuses and children are particularly sensitive.
Cadmium: Toxic to the environment and health, and can cause osteoporosis, kidney damage, and cancer. It can also be carcinogenic.
Source: The Chemicals Agency
