How to tell if squishy toy is unsafe after dad makes discovery as parents warned to throw them away
A trading standards manager has issued a stark warning to parents over how to spot whether a squishy toy is actually safe for their children to play with, amid growing concern over the viral playthings.
It comes after a string of warnings from councils across the UK about squishy toys, including the 'squishy dumpling' craze, with some products found to contain the carcinogenic chemical Benzene.
Shanequa Paris, speaking to the BBC on TikTok, put the issue to Helene Corlette, a trading standards manager, asking what parents should be looking out for to make sure they're buying a safe toy.
Corlette held up two squishy toys side by side to demonstrate the difference, explaining that one was "likely to be safe" while the other was "likely to be unsafe."
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"If you look at the quality of the packaging on this one compared to that one and the labelling, all the information, the difference, yeah, it's a big difference," she said.
How can you tell if a squishy toy is safe?
According to Corlette, a genuinely safe toy should have "a UK name and address" printed clearly on the packaging, along with "a lot of warnings" detailing age recommendations and potential hazards. Missing or vague labelling, she suggested, should be treated as an immediate red flag before a toy ever makes it into a child's hands.
Big brands including Nido and RMS have said their products are subject to strict UK laws, insisting they are "thoroughly tested" and meet required safety standards before they hit shelves.
But Corlette warned that not every squishy toy on the market goes through the same rigorous process, which is why checking the packaging properly before buying is so important.
What are the warning signs of a dangerous squishy toy?
Beyond the box itself, Corlette flagged two key things parents should watch for once a toy is actually in use. If a squishy toy feels sticky to the touch, or gives off "a very strong chemical smell," that's a sign something could be seriously wrong with it.
Her advice for anyone who notices either of those signs is simple but urgent: "Stop using it straight away and tell an adult."
It's advice that echoes warnings issued elsewhere in recent months. Northumberland County Council previously urged parents to stay vigilant after some squishy dumpling toys were found to release Benzene, a chemical described by the American Cancer Society as a colourless, flammable liquid with a sweet odour that's among the most widely used chemicals in the US.
Exposure to chemicals like Benzene has been linked to an increased risk of cancers, including leukaemia and other cancers affecting blood cells, making the stakes of getting this wrong far higher than a simple faulty toy.
One dad previously went viral after testing squishy dumpling toys with a volatile organic compound (VOC) meter, recording readings that maxed out the device entirely, prompting him to raise his concerns directly with Health Canada.
With squishy toys continuing to fly off shelves among kids, Corlette's checklist, packaging, labelling, smell and texture, gives parents a quick way to judge whether a toy is worth the risk before it's too late.
UNILAD has contacted Nido and RMS International for comment.
Thomas Bamford