00:04UK trading standards have issued urgent safety warnings about the viral squishy
00:09dumplings which you may have seen all across your social feeds such as TikTok.
00:13There's been a surge in unregulated and counterfeit products and so I'm in
00:17mates today asking residents if they're concerned about maybe accidentally buying
00:22a product which may not be safe for their child. The toys can be used for
00:26stress relief and focus and are in demand for both kids and adults. After an
00:31investigation in Swansea, trading standards officers found most of the
00:35toys examined failed to meet basic UK safety standards after reports of some
00:40dumplings having a strange smell. Last year the government warned against
00:44counterfeit Libubu toys when 9 out of 10 coming into the UK were fake with three
00:49quarters of them also failing safety tests. Officers said this highlighted the
00:54speed at which social media driven trends can spread unsafe or fake products.
00:59I am quite concerned because I work with children and you have to think that these
01:05dumplings are being sent out to children that have these sensory needs that don't
01:11understand the deeper side of it and they're being advertised to these
01:15children and they don't understand the implications that these chemicals are
01:19going to have on their skin because they're not educated on it yet.
01:21The kids do love them and they know no better whether it's the real thing because you can't
01:26really tell with this and when they do finally find out and it's like popped and it's got on
01:31their skin or something cause like a rash or whatever.
01:33They should be renegulated yeah 100% yeah they should know that it's a danger and
01:37there should be things put in place to stop them being sent to children.
01:41I mean the social media pressure is not just for kids it's for everyone they're things that if I
01:45want and I see other people have on social media I definitely want it times two so I can't blame
01:50the kids if they if they like what they see they want to buy it but I think there should
01:55be some
01:55government controls. A government spokesperson said children's safety is our top priority and any
02:01toys sold in the UK must meet our strict laws. Retailers must take care when sourcing toys and people
02:08should contact their local trading standards with any safety concerns. As a minimum retailers
02:14should check that products carry the UKCA or CE mark and display clear manufacturer name and address
02:20details. According to the government they are currently taking action with new measures to clamp
02:25down on irresponsible sellers. Maisie Walker for KMTV, Maidstone
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