The organization examined 162 products from third-party sellers using Temu and Shein as their sales platform—110 of them did not meet EU safety requirements, as the foundation announced on Thursday. Testers found harmful substances in baby playmats, toxic heavy metals in jewelry, and excessively hot chargers.
“We found sometimes serious defects in many popular products on Temu and Shein,” explained Florian Ostermann of Stiftung Warentest. “These supposed bargains are at times toxic, a serious fire hazard, and do not meet applicable EU safety standards. We advise buyers to dispose of the affected products and to carefully consider which items they order from Temu or Shein.” Stiftung Warentest published a warning list with the article numbers of the unsafe products.
Contain Carcinogenic and Allergy-Causing Substances
The test included 54 necklaces, 54 USB chargers, and 54 toys for children under three years old. For example, testers found an excessively high dose of formaldehyde in colorful fabric playmats for babies; this substance can cause contact allergies. Many products lacked warning labels. Two necklaces contained dangerously high levels of cadmium, exceeding the permitted limit by 8,500 times. Ostermann explained that cadmium is classified as carcinogenic—these products must be taken to a hazardous waste collection point.
Furthermore, almost all the tested USB chargers failed to meet EU safety requirements, Stiftung Warentest continued. Numerous products became too hot while charging, reaching temperatures of up to around 88 degrees Celsius. The EU permits a maximum limit of 77 degrees. Intense heat can deform the charger’s plastic casing, damage the internal electronic insulation, and, in the worst case, lead to a fire.
Investigations for Possible Violations of EU Laws
The platforms Temu and Shein, which were founded in China, specialize in the direct sale of goods from outside the EU. They lure customers with extremely cheap offers. In Brussels, both companies are under investigation for potential violations of EU consumer protection laws and rules for online platforms. In the case of Temu, the EU Commission has already reached the preliminary conclusion that consumers are highly likely to encounter products there that do not conform to consumer protection standards.
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