Seoul City Inspects 284 Products of Ali, Temu, and Shein
Harmful Substances Detected in Phone Cases, Bathroom Slippers, Cosmetics, and More
Carcinogenic substances exceeding domestic standards by up to 252 times were detected in phone cases sold on overseas direct purchase online platforms, prompting a need for caution.
On the 5th, the Seoul Metropolitan Government announced that after inspecting 284 products sold on AliExpress, Temu, and Shein, harmful substances exceeding domestic standards were found in 16 products, including phone cases, bathroom slippers, and cosmetics.
According to the inspection results, three phone case products sold on Shein and Temu contained phthalate-based plasticizers exceeding domestic standards by up to 252.3 times. Phthalates are endocrine-disrupting substances that affect reproductive functions such as reduced sperm count, infertility, and premature birth, and are classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer as possibly carcinogenic to humans (Group 2B). Therefore, special care should be taken to avoid long-term contact with the human body. In addition, lead was detected exceeding domestic standards by up to 1.5 times. Since phone cases are products with very high frequency of body contact, the city urged consumers to exercise special caution.
In cosmetics, two eyebrow tint products sold on AliExpress contained methanol exceeding domestic standards by 18 times. Lead was also detected at twice the domestic standard. In eight leather products such as jackets, wallets, belts, and gloves sold on AliExpress and Temu, hexavalent chromium exceeded domestic standards by up to 6.1 times. Hexavalent chromium is classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer as a human carcinogen. Exposure through inhalation mainly causes respiratory damage.
One bathroom slipper product contained phthalate-based plasticizers exceeding domestic standards by 142.8 times. Lead exceeded the standard by up to 3.1 times. Two food container products showed total leachable substances (4% acetic acid) exceeding domestic standards by up to 4.5 times.
This is the result of inspections conducted by the Seoul Institute of Health and Environment and external specialized institutions from the 2nd of last month to the 2nd of this month on 46 sanitary products, 35 cosmetics, 66 food containers, and 137 clothing and daily necessities. The city plans to request the suspension of sales for the 16 problematic products from related agencies such as the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety and the online platforms. Safety inspection results can be viewed on the Seoul Metropolitan Government or Seoul E-commerce Center websites.
Meanwhile, since April, the city has conducted safety inspections on a total of 1,392 overseas direct purchase daily necessities and detected 89 products exceeding domestic safety standards. Among the problematic products, cosmetics accounted for the largest number with 41 cases.
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