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According to the latest report by the EU Commission, among the unsafe products on the market of the member states, the majority were toys due to the presence of dangerous chemicals, then motor vehicles, clothing, textiles, and the situation in our country It’s very similar.
In other words, according to data from the “Nepro” system, which publishes information on unsafe products, 119 notices were published in Serbia in 2019 about products whose use may endanger the health of consumers, and so far in 2020 they about 80 notices available to the public.
– During 2019, on the “Nepro” site, the largest number of outstanding notifications referred to toys in which laboratory tests determined a higher content of phthalates in relation to the 0.1% prescribed (m / m). By the way, phthalates are classified as toxic for reproduction and therefore endanger the health of consumers, in this case the most threatened category: children. During 2020, a greater number of notices refer to clothing intended for children that have ribbons / cords in the neck or waist area that are not attached to a garment or are longer than what is prescribed by the standard, so that the child can hang from objects in the immediate vicinity. and injuries – say by “Blic” in the Ministry of Commerce.
The products themselves, which are considered dangerous, are also withdrawn from the market, but often the reports themselves come from the consumers themselves. When it comes to toys, experts specifically warn about plastic being softened with the help of phthalates, which are harmful and break down in contact with a humid environment, and can even be found in baby pacifiers.
– The results of our research last year on the content of phthalates in children’s toys in toy stores and Asian supply stores showed that, although there is a list that limits the amount of certain phthalates in toys, it is not applied enough, nor is it controlled , because the market still find unsafe toys. On the other hand, our unsafe product database has very little data. Only a hundred products in a few years. As the Rapex list, which is maintained in the EU, is full of dangerous products, is it possible that none of that will enter Serbia? For example, the plastic tablecloths that we like to use can also be dangerous. We eat on them, the food falls on them and that can be one of the easiest intakes of phthalates – explains Jelena Milić, PhD in biochemical sciences from the ALHema Association (Alternative for safer chemicals).
These associations annually analyze product samples in Serbia for various chemicals.
– Our experience shows that products from the EU are safer than those from Eastern markets. People should know that substances banned in children’s toys are not banned in some general-use items. Children’s cases are subject to stricter laws. I know it’s difficult, but that’s why children should play with their toys. But we often see them nibbling remotely. Products that have a written origin and barcode are more often secure than those that do not. We all know that there is a written content of substances in household chemicals, but when you buy a textile, it does not tell you what it was dyed with or what was used to print T-shirts or what chemical was used to make your waterproof clothing – continued our interlocutor.
Jovanka Nikolić from the Serbian Consumers Association also points out that the chemical correction of the product is very important, especially when it comes to articles intended for children.
– Plastic toys in contact with the skin and humid environment can often be carcinogenic, affecting the endocrine and reproductive system. You have soft plastic horseshoes or those binding pads that have been shown to be harmful to your health. When inspection determines that these products are dangerous, they demand their removal from stores, but those toys still remain in daycare. Let’s connect the institutions so that preschool institutions also receive lists of dangerous products, that is, toys, and deliver them immediately – said Nikolić.
Through applications to the composition of the product.
Consumers can send a request to the seller to tell him what substances a particular product contains, if they suspect they may be harmful. Serbia is the only country outside the EU that has a request for these types of controls. The Scan4Chem application provides users with the ability, by scanning the product barcode, to send an inquiry to the supplier and find out if the product contains any of the so-called. substances of concern listed by the European Chemicals Agency. Jelena Milić says that the response of our traders to these inquiries remains, on average, lower than in the EU.
Applications also for cars
Regarding other categories of products during 2020, as well as during 2019, a significant number of notifications referred to motor vehicles, which were presented to the Ministry by importers / representatives of various brands. By the way, the five most common unsafe products in the EU are toys (29 percent), motor vehicles (20 percent), clothing and textiles (12 percent), household appliances (6 percent), and child care items ( 5 percent). The top five risks from unsafe products in the EU are injury (28 percent), chemicals (22 percent), suffocation (17 percent), electric shock (10 percent) and fire (6 percent).
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