Toxic Squishy Dumplings Expose Gaps in EU Toy Safety Controls
Popular squishy dumpling toys — stress balls shaped like Asian dumplings that have gone viral on TikTok — have been found to contain potentially carcinogenic substances, triggering precautionary removals from major retailers across Belgium and the Netherlands and prompting investigations by consumer safety authorities. The discovery has reignited a fierce debate about the effectiveness of Europe’s toy safety regime, the reliability of the CE marking system, and the role of ultra-cheap online marketplaces in flooding the market with dangerous products.
What Was Found
Belgian toxicologist Prof. Jan Tytgat of KU Leuven tested three different squishy dumpling toys at the request of Het Laatste Nieuws and found xylene, benzene derivatives, and naphthalene — compounds typically found in crude oil. As VRT NWS reported, Tytgat compared handling the toys to touching gasoline with bare hands.
Health experts warn that children playing with these toys may experience headaches, nausea, concentration problems, and lung irritation. Prolonged skin contact can cause allergies, redness, and dehydration. “It’s actually absurd that carcinogenic substances are in that toy,” said Karen Smeets, toxicologist at UHasselt, in comments to VRT NWS.
Retailer and Regulatory Response
Major retailers acted swiftly. In Belgium, Delhaize and Standaard Boekhandel pulled the products from shelves. In the Netherlands, Bol.com and Bruna stopped sales preventively, as RTL Nieuws confirmed. Intertoys, Jamin, and Xenos are monitoring the situation pending results from the Dutch NVWA, which is testing samples with results expected shortly.
The Belgian FOD Economie has launched an investigation. This follows a similar incident earlier this year when asbestos was discovered in kinetic play sand, leading to a nationwide precautionary warning.
The CE Marking Paradox
Perhaps most troubling is that the squishy dumplings carried CE labels — the manufacturer’s declaration that a product meets EU safety requirements — yet contained prohibited substances. This reveals a fundamental flaw in the system.
“The requirements for such a label are rarely checked by an independent body,” said Ortwin Huysmans of Testaankoop / Test Achats, speaking to VRT NWS. “As a result, such a certificate loses its meaning.”
For most toys, the CE mark is a self-declaration by the manufacturer, not a verified certification by an independent third party. Customs authorities, overwhelmed by millions of packages flowing through hubs like Liège Airport, inspect only a tiny fraction of incoming goods. Multiple intermediaries in the supply chain make it nearly impossible to hold sellers accountable.
The Online Marketplace Problem
The incident has put a spotlight on ultra-cheap online platforms. The European Commission fined Chinese-owned retailer Temu €200 million in May 2026 under the Digital Services Act for failing to prevent the sale of illegal and unsafe products, including dangerous baby toys and faulty chargers, as BBC News reported.
A study by Toy Industries of Europe (TIE) in October 2024 found that 80% of toys bought from third-party traders on 10 online marketplaces failed EU safety standards. Products included baby teething toys that could break into choking hazards, slime with boron levels 13 times above legal limits, and electronic drawing boards with accessible button batteries.
“Cheap toys carry a risk with them,” Huysmans warned.
What’s Being Done?
The EU adopted a new Toy Safety Regulation (EU) 2025/2509 in November 2025, which entered into force on January 1, 2026. As the European Commission explains, the regulation introduces stricter chemical restrictions — including bans on PFAS and bisphenols — a Digital Product Passport requirement, and enhanced obligations for online marketplaces. However, full implementation is not until August 2030, leaving a four-year transition period during which the current self-certification loophole remains open.
What Consumers Should Know
Experts advise parents to avoid ultra-cheap online marketplaces, choose sustainable and organic materials over plastic, check labels carefully, and dispose of any toy that smells strongly of chemicals. As Prof. Paul Scheepers of Radboud University told RTL Nieuws: “A product that really stinks, you should just throw away immediately.”
The Bigger Picture
The squishy dumpling affair follows a familiar pattern: a viral TikTok trend drives rapid demand, multiple manufacturers — many outside the EU — rush production, safety testing is reactive rather than proactive, and recalls happen only after harm is discovered. The same cycle played out with fidget spinners, slime, and water beads.
With the NVWA results still pending and no coordinated EU-wide recall announced yet, the question remains whether this incident will accelerate the timeline for stronger enforcement — or whether it will take another crisis before the system is truly fixed.