Slime toys warning after 8 out of 11 found to be potentially toxic

PARENTS are being warned to exercise cauion when buying their children slime products after a study by consumer watchdogs found many were potentially toxic.

Consumer group Which? tested 11 popular children’s slime products and found eight of them contained higher than recommended levels of boron, a chemical that can pose a safety risk.

Exposure to excessive levels of the element can cause skin irritation, diarrhoea and vomiting in the short term, while exposure to very high levels of boron may also impair fertility and could cause harm to unborn children.

A European Union safety directive says liquid or sticky toys should contain no more than 300mg/kg of boron. According to the study, Toysmith Jupiter Juice, bought on Amazon, had more than four times the permitted level of boron with 1400mg/ kg.

Which? said that parents should be able to buy toys without being fearful that they could cause their children harm.

Boron is found in borax, a common ingredient in slime that helps to create its “stickiness”.

Which? said all eight products that failed the tests were purchased on Amazon and that the products which did not meet the standard had since been removed.

An Amazon spokesman said: “All Amazon Marketplace sellers must follow the selling guidelines and those who don’t will be subject to action.”

Slime tested from two high street retailers, The Works and Smyths Toys, met the EU safety standard.

Nikki Stopford, the director of research and publishing at Which?, said: “If you have school-age kids you’re probably very well aware of the latest slime craze.

“Manufacturers must stop making unsafe products and the Government and retailers have to do a far better job of getting anything identified as a risk off the shelves.”