Product safety in the EU: Record numbers of dangerous cosmetics, toys, and electrical appliances were withdrawn from the market in 2025

When market surveillance or customs authorities in any EU country identify a dangerous product, its details are recorded in the European Commission’s Safety Gate rapid alert system.¹ This article contains an in-depth review of Safety Gate notifications from 2025, providing insight into the origins of dangerous products and the most common types of risks they pose to European consumers and the environment.

Summary of key findings:

• The total number of products identified as dangerous increased significantly for the third consecutive year, up more than 17% compared to 2024 and more than 134% compared to 2022.

• The increase is largely driven by tightened EU cosmetics legislation, with which many companies have failed to comply. As in the two preceding years, the single most common safety risk was the presence of allergenic fragrance Lilial in various cosmetic products. Despite being banned since March 2022, Lilial was openly listed as an ingredient in over 1,400 products that were subsequently removed from the market.

• More dangerous toys and electrical appliances were also flagged than in previous years. Poor-quality toys frequently posed a choking hazard, while electrical appliances carried a risk of electric shock. High concentrations of harmful chemicals, particularly phthalates and lead, were also commonly found in both product groups.

• Dozens of pieces of clothing, footwear, and jewelry were also found to blatantly violate EU chemical regulations. Endocrine-disrupting phthalates were found in plastic sandals at concentrations exceeding 60%, while several pieces of jewellery consisted almost entirely of carcinogenic cadmium.

Sharp rise in risk alerts relating to large e-commerce platforms

In 2025, market surveillance and customs authorities across EU member states identified a total of 4,480 products deemed to pose a serious safety risk to consumers or the environment. The number of dangerous products detected has grown substantially since the early 2020s.

Stricter cosmetics legislation accounts for much of the rapid growth observed in recent years, as the prohibited fragrance butylphenyl methylpropional (BMHCA) — commercially known as Lilial — began appearing in the statistics from late 2022 onwards.

In addition, poor-quality products sold through major e-commerce platforms feature more prominently in the 2025 figures compared to previous years.

Products sold through platforms such as Temu and Shein and shipped directly to consumers from third countries have previously largely fallen outside the scope of market surveillance, although this has begun to change as enforcement efforts have intensified over the past couple of years. In January 2026, for example, the results of an EU-wide surveillance project were published, finding that more than half of inspected toys and electronics failed to meet EU regulatory requirements.²

The impact of increased enforcement measures is clearly visible in the 2025 Safety Gate figures, where Shein and Temu appear in significant numbers for the first time. Nonetheless, surveillance resources are still minimal compared to the massive volume of cheap imports, with approximately 6 billion low-value parcels reaching EU consumers in 2025.³

China continues to stand out as the leading country of origin for dangerous products, as in previous years. Of all dangerous products reported on Safety Gate, 41.8% originated there, with the share even higher in certain product categories. For example, around 85% of dangerous toys and electrical appliances were manufactured in China.

However, European countries of origin dominate in certain product categories. Italy was the leading source of dangerous cosmetics in 2025, while dangerous motor vehicles were most commonly manufactured in France or Germany.

Among product categories, cosmetics stand out most prominently, accounting for 37.3% of all Safety Gate serious risk alerts in 2025. Toys (15.2%), electrical appliances (10.4%), and motor vehicles (9.9%) were also responsible for a significant number of safety risks.

Dangerous cosmetics contain banned chemicals — often openly listed in the ingredient list

Of all Safety Gate notifications related to cosmetic products, 87% concerned the fragrance BMHCA, commercially known as Lilial, which was banned in March 2022 after being classified as a potential reproductive toxicant. BMHCA was found in over 1,450 products, virtually all of which were identified based on their ingredient list alone.

"Authorities did not need to test these products — their non-compliance was plain to see from the packaging. It certainly gives the impression that manufacturers and importers have not responded to the ban appropriately," says Teemu Myllymäki, CEO of Measurlabs with a PhD in Applied Physics.

Perhaps somewhat surprisingly, non-compliant cosmetics are often manufactured by large European or multinational companies. Italy was by far the leading country of origin in 2025, accounting for more than a third of all notifications, and cosmetics from Germany, France, and Spain were also removed from the market in greater numbers than those from China.

In addition to BMHCA, cosmetic products were found to contain a range of other harmful chemicals:

• 53 gel nail polishes contained TPO, which was previously widely used as a photoinitiator to promote the curing reaction in professional nail products. TPO was banned in September 2025 following its classification as a reproductive toxicant.

• 19 gel nail polishes contained TMPTA, another photoinitiator, which was banned in December 2023 as a probable carcinogen.

• 33 skin-lightening creams contained hydroquinone, a substance known to cause skin irritation and potentially cancer. In addition, 16 lightening creams contained clobetasol propionate, a compound permitted in medicinal products only.

• 19 products contained mercury, which accumulates in the body and can damage multiple organs.

• 13 products contained isothiazolinones, restricted preservatives known to cause allergic reactions.

• Small numbers of products contained other prohibited substances, such as formaldehyde, phthalates, benzophenone, and arsenic.

18 cosmetic products were removed from the EU market in 2025 due to posing a microbiological risk. In addition, three sunscreens were found to endanger consumers due to a sun-protection factor (SPF) far short of the claimed value. In the most extreme case, a sunscreen manufactured in China was labeled with an SPF of 90+ while the laboratory-measured value was 2.2.⁴

Dangerous toys frequently pose a choking hazard or contain phthalates harmful to reproduction

In 2025, 681 toys posing a serious safety risk were reported to the Safety Gate system, representing an increase of approximately 21% compared to the previous year.

The most common risk was a choking hazard from small parts that could easily detach, identified in over 330 toys. Harmful chemicals posing a risk to human health or the environment were also found in over 300 toys, while a smaller number posed a risk of injury or burns. Many toys posed several types of risks.

Among harmful chemicals, phthalates stand out as a particular concern in the toys category. These plasticisers, known to damage reproductive health, were found in 103 toys. The EU regulatory limit for restricted phthalates is 0.1% by weight of plastic components, yet the levels detected in several toys exceeded this limit by several hundred times. In two dolls, for example, the plastic components contained 55.86% and 63.5% of DEHP, respectively.⁵

Toys were also found to contain a range of other restricted chemicals:

• 48 slime toys released excessive levels of boron, which can damage the reproductive system.

• 26 balloons contained nitrosamines, which may increase the cancer risk when ingested or absorbed through the skin.

• Dozens of toys contained one or more heavy metals harmful to human health and the environment, namely cadmium, hexavalent chromium, or lead. The most blatant violations involved solder materials in electronic components, which in several cases consisted primarily of lead, despite lead solders having been banned in the EU since 2006.

• Three nail polish sets intended for children were withdrawn from sale due to the EU microplastics ban that took effect in 2023.

Market surveillance authorities also identified 14 flammable toys, which were typically either synthetic fancy dress costumes or electronic toys that contained batteries prone to overheating.

Compared to previous years, surveillance efforts focused more heavily on toys sold via online marketplaces. A total of 259 toys identified as dangerous were sold online, 28 of them on Temu. In 2024, toys sold on Temu were flagged only twice.

Poor-quality electrical appliances frequently pose a risk of electric shock or fire

Similar to toys, market surveillance of electrical appliances is on the increase in response to the growth in low-cost imports, and more dangerous products are being identified as a result. In 2025, Safety Gate notifications for serious safety deficiencies in electrical appliances increased by approximately 47% compared to the previous year.

The most common safety risk in the electrical appliances category was electric shock, typically resulting from insufficient insulation of live parts. Inadequate or poor-quality insulation can also pose a fire risk, and the number of such cases has risen significantly compared to previous years. In 2025, market surveillance authorities identified 125 electrical appliances posing a fire risk, compared to 25 in 2024 and 33 in 2023.

On the chemical side, lead solders were the most common safety risk associated with electrical appliances in 2025, accounting for over 130 Safety Gate notifications. Phthalates and short-chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs) — the latter classified as persistent environmental pollutants — were each found in around 30 electrical appliances. Numerous appliances contained more than one banned chemical.

Numerous cadmium-based jewelry items were again removed from the market

In 2025, a total of 227 dangerous products were identified in the clothing and jewelry categories. Harmful chemicals were the most common reason behind Safety Gate alerts, and many products contained them at staggeringly high concentrations. Cadmium, a carcinogenic heavy metal that accumulates in the body and is subject to a maximum permitted concentration of 0.01% under EU chemicals legislation, was the primary constituent in several pieces of jewelry:⁶

• Easter-themed earrings that obviously appeal to children consisted of 94% cadmium

• Cat-shaped pendants sold on Temu, likewise designed to appeal to children and teenagers, contained 88% cadmium

• Flower-themed earrings were made from 92% cadmium

• Aptly themed skeleton necklaces consisted of 83% cadmium

In total, cadmium was found in 71 jewelry items and accessories, eight of which had concentrations exceeding 80%. Phthalates were the next most commonly identified restricted substance, found in 40 dangerous clothes or accessories at concentrations above 60% in the most extreme cases. One batch of plastic sandals was tested to contain DEHP in concentrations up to 71.5% and DBP in concentrations up to 13.3%.⁷