Shocking safety alert for people buying from Temu and Shein

Key topics:Nearly 70% of Temu and Shein products fail EU safety standards.Toys and USB chargers pose high risks of choking, burns, or shock.Some necklaces contain extreme cadmium levels, highly toxic to health..Sign up for your early morning brew of the BizNews Insider to keep you up to speed with the content that matters. The newsletter will land in your inbox at 5:30am weekdays. Register here.Support South Africa’s bastion of independent journalism, offering balanced insights on investments, business, and the political economy, by joining BizNews Premium. Register here.If you prefer WhatsApp for updates, sign up to the BizNews channel here..By Jan Vermeulen.A group of consumer associations from Belgium, Germany, and Denmark recently analysed 162 products purchased from Temu and Shein and found that nearly 70% of them violated safety standards.Among the products tested were USB chargers, necklaces, and children’s toys, with a significant proportion of products from each category failing to comply with at least one European regulation.A MyBroadband test in 2024 also found that Temu allowed merchants on its platform to sell electronics in South Africa without the necessary regulatory approvals from Icasa and the NRCS.“Our analysis shows that buying from Temu or Shein is a bit like playing Russian roulette,” said Julie Frère, spokesperson for Belgian non-profit consumer organisation Testachats.“Some products may be fine, but others pose serious safety risks.”According to Testachats, they conducted the test in March 2025, buying 81 products each from Temu and Shein..Read more:.Shein unveils Johannesburg pop-up to boost local presence.The products were divided into three categories: 27 toys for babies and young children (up to 3 years old), 27 USB chargers, and 27 necklaces.“The selection was made randomly from the best-selling products, without intentionally seeking out items that posed a particular safety risk,” Testachats stated.“The products were then tested by specialised laboratories to assess their compliance with European standards.”For USB chargers and children’s toys, the tests checked mechanical safety, electrical safety, and labelling. For necklaces and children’s toys, the tests focused on metals and toxic substances.“The results are unequivocal: 112 out of the 162 products tested were found to be non-compliant with European Union safety regulations, making their sale illegal on the European market,” Testachats said.Regarding toys for very young children, 26 out of 27 toys sold on Temu had at least one defect, and only one product received no issues.On Shein, all the toys tested had non-conformities, whether due to small detachable parts, dangerous shapes, chemical substances, or misleading labelling.In total, approximately 60% of the toys presented medium to high risks: choking, suffocation, electric shock, or chemical exposure.The most common problems involved small detachable parts that could be swallowed and pose a choking hazard.Fragile USB chargers and cadmium-contaminated necklaces.As for the USB chargers analysed, they fared no better: 52 out of 54 failed at least one mechanical or electrical test.Approximately 31% of them presented risks deemed high, ranging from rapid deterioration and short circuits to overheating that could cause burns or fires, with some reaching over 100°C when overloaded.“Only one charger per platform passed all tests without issue,” stated Testachats.Regarding the 54 necklaces analysed, most did not present immediate risks. Only five were found to be non-compliant, but some were genuinely dangerous to health due to a significant presence of cadmium.“Cadmium, a toxic and carcinogenic metal that can cause bone and kidney damage, is especially dangerous if placed in the mouth, sucked, or swallowed,” Testachats warned.“People who unconsciously place their necklace pendant between their lips are particularly exposed to the risk of contamination.”One necklace contained more than 85% cadmium — over 8,500 times the permitted limit. A second necklace exceeded the limit by 7,500 times.A third necklace, while less extreme, was nevertheless heavily contaminated, with a cadmium level ten times higher than the permitted limit.“In reality, cheap can be expensive,” stated Frère.“You may not pay much on platforms like Temu or Shein, but be aware that you probably don’t have the same safety guarantees as with (often more expensive) products from well-known brands.”Temu and Shein say they take product safety very seriously.In May, Shein announced that it was intensifying its product safety and quality protocols, aiming to increase the total number of tests from 2 million in 2024 to 2.5 million in 2025.“Product safety tests, including chemical tests, are carried out throughout the sales cycle, in collaboration with leading third-party testing agencies,” it stated.“This year, Shein has expanded and deepened its partnerships with 15 internationally-recognised testing agencies, including Bureau Veritas, Intertek, QIMA, SGS, and TÜV SÜD.”.Read more:. Britain shouldn’t want a Shein hand-me-down: Andrea Felsted.Temu told MyBroadband that it takes product safety very seriously. It said it removed the items identified in the report from sale and notified the relevant sellers.“Temu operates a comprehensive quality control system to prevent, detect, and remove non-compliant products,” a spokesperson stated.“This includes physical inspections and partnerships with independent testing organisations to ensure products meet safety standards.”Temu said it verifies seller identities against sanctions and business registries, and requires supporting documentation, such as test reports and certificates, before products can be listed.“In practice, about 30% of seller applications and around 15% of listing applications are rejected during these checks,” it said.It then continuously screens listings through automated systems, expert review, and physical inspections at receiving warehouses, supplemented by on-site laboratory testing.Temu said it proactively removes more than 14,000 listings for every one removed reactively. It also invested $100 million in compliance and quality control in 2025, with plans to double it next year.“Most sellers on Temu operate lawfully and responsibly. When violations occur, they differ in severity, and we investigate each case thoroughly,” it stated..This article was first published by MyBroadband and is republished with permission

Shocking safety alert for people buying from Temu and Shein

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