Seoul authorities find toxic substances in Shein and Temu products

Women’s accessories sold by some of the world’s
most popular online shopping firms contained toxic substances sometimes
hundreds of times above acceptable levels, authorities in Seoul said Wednesday.

Chinese giants including Shein, Temu and AliExpress have skyrocketed in
popularity around the world in recent years, offering a vast selection of
trendy clothes and accessories at stunningly low prices.

The explosive growth has led to increased scrutiny of their business
practices and safety standards, including in the European Union and South
Korea, where Seoul officials have been conducting weekly inspections of items
sold by online platforms.

In the most recent inspection, 144 products from Shein, AliExpress and Temu
were tested, and multiple products from all companies failed to meet legal
standards.

Shoes from Shein were found to contain significantly high levels of
phthalates — chemicals used to make plastics more flexible — with one pair
229 times above the legal limit.

“Phthalate-based plasticisers affect reproductive functions such as sperm
count reduction, and can cause infertility and even premature birth,” an
official from Seoul’s environmental health team told AFP.

One such chemical “is classified as a human carcinogen by the International
Cancer Institute, so special care should be taken to avoid long-term contact
with the human body”, they added.

Formaldehyde, a chemical commonly used in home building products, was
detected in Shein’s caps at double the allowable threshold.

Two bottles of nail polish from Shein were found to have dioxane — a
possible human carcinogen that can cause liver poisoning — at levels more
than 3.6 times the allowed limit and methanol concentrations 1.4 times above
the acceptable level.

Shein told AFP that they “work closely with international third-party
testing agencies… to regularly carry out risk-based sampling tests to ensure
that products provided by suppliers meet Shein’s product safety standards”.

“Our suppliers are required to comply with the controls and standards we
have put in place as well as the product safety laws and regulations in the
countries we operate in,” the company added.

Seoul authorities found sandals from Temu contained lead in the insoles at
levels more than 11 times the permissible limit.

Temu did not immediately respond to an AFP request for comment.
Seoul officials have asked for the products to be removed from sale,
according to a government statement.

“Products that exceed the legal limit are products that directly contact
the body, such as leather sandals and hats, so citizens should pay special
attention,” said Kim Tae-hee, an official in the capital.

“The Seoul Metropolitan Government will continue to conduct safety tests
periodically and disclose the results.”

In April, the European Union added Shein to its list of digital firms that
are big enough to come under stricter safety rules — including measures to
protect customers from unsafe products, especially those that could be harmful
to minors.

Shein and Temu have followed Chinese e-commerce titan Alibaba in
challenging Amazon, especially by making inroads in the US market.(AFP)