The French brand Kiabi has initiated a recall for five items of clothing, due to the presence of PFAS above the limits permitted by law. These chemical compounds, as is now known, are often used in fabrics to make them water-repellent or resistant to stains, but their persistence in the environment and in the human organism makes them potentially dangerous for health.
The recall was published on the French government portal Rappel Conso which signals a “chemical risk” for consumers. And this is not an abstract alarm, the French National Agency for Health Security (ANSES) reminds us that prolonged exposure to these persistent molecules can lead to serious health effects, including increased cholesterol, risk of cancer, impacts on fertility and fetal development, damage to the liver and kidneys. PFAS are also suspected of interfering with the endocrine and immune systems.
The leaders recalled
The recall concerns both clothes for adults and for children and babies, marketed between 20 June and 22 December 2025. The five affected items are:
Products intended for children and newborns are of particular concern, as they involve more vulnerable segments of the population. Kiabi asks you to no longer use the items and return them to the store by May 31st for a refund.
It is not the first time that this brand has come under fire for PFAS exceeding the limits in France: children’s clothing, including raincoats, had already been recalled in December 2025 for the same reason.
Why are PFAS in clothes? The answer is very simple: they work. PFAS molecules are highly prized in the textile industry for their water-repellent, stain-repellent and oil-repellent properties, making them particularly popular in windbreakers, technical jackets and outdoor garments.
And in Italy, are we safe?
Not entirely. Although the Kiabi recall formally concerns the French market, the products may also have been purchased by Italian consumers, for example online. It is worth checking the items in your possession by checking the barcodes indicated in the official alert.
On the regulatory front, Italy does not yet have a specific national law banning the production and sale of clothing containing PFAS, unlike France which introduced this ban from 1 January 2026. At a European level, restrictions on PFAS in textile products will come into force in October 2026, but until then the regulatory vacuum leaves large margins of risk for consumers.
What to do
If you purchased Kiabi clothing in 2025 – especially windproof jackets or clothing for children and babies – check the barcodes shown in the official alert. More generally, when purchasing waterproofed garments of any brand, it is useful to prefer labels that explicitly declare the absence of PFAS in the production chain.
