Over 11 thousand articles and toys deemed not to comply with safety requirements were seized by the Livorno Financial Police. The operation was conducted by the financiers of the Cecina Company during a control activity in a daily market in Rosignano Marittimo.
Among the products seized there are also Squishy Ravioli, the anti-stress toys that have been very popular among children and teenagers in recent months. We are talking about those small soft puppets inspired by Asian dumplings, also known as Dumpling Squishy, which are generally sold in packages that resemble traditional bamboo baskets. Their success is linked above all to the blind box system: those who buy the product do not know which character they will find inside.
It was precisely some of these toys displayed for sale that attracted the attention of financiers. The checks revealed that the packages lacked essential elements for the marketing of products intended for children, including warnings in Italian and the CE mark.
The checks carried out subsequently through the European Safety Gate alert system made it possible to ascertain that the batch of Squishy Ravioli identified had already been reported as a serious risk to the health and safety of children.
At the end of the intervention, the Financial Police ordered the administrative seizure of the potentially dangerous toys. Administrative sanctions of up to 30 thousand euros are also foreseen for the owners of the commercial activities involved.
Because counterfeit Squishies can be dangerous
According to what was reported by the Guardia di Finanza, the products did not comply with the requirements of the European regulation on toy safety.
The risks identified concern, in particular, two aspects. The first is of a mechanical nature: some parts could detach and turn into small elements potentially dangerous for children, with the risk of suffocation.
The second concerns the possible exposure to unauthorized chemicals, which could migrate from the material of the toy during handling or if it is accidentally put in the mouth.
Beware of imitations and products without traceability
The seizure comes after another recent case involving a specific Squeezy Dumplings, which was recalled in the UK due to the presence of benzene. The great popularity of these games makes it important to pay particular attention to imitations and non-compliant products that may circulate on the market, especially among stalls and online sales channels.
In fact, when a toy goes viral, copies and products that are very similar to each other can quickly appear, not always made by the same manufacturers and above all not necessarily subjected to the same safety checks.
Before purchasing it is therefore important to verify the origin of the product and check that the information required by law is present on the packaging, including safety indications and references that allow you to identify the manufacturer or importer. Particularly important attention in the case of toys intended for little ones, which tend to be manipulated continuously and can even be put in the mouth.
