In a new compilation of recent product tests by its members – national consumer organisations across Europe – BEUC finds that everyday consumer products are awash with harmful chemicals. We call on the EU to urgently reduce people’s exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), endocrine disruptors, and other chemicals of concern.

In 2020, the EU unveiled its strategy to remove toxic substances from our daily lives but worryingly with limited follow-up so far. BEUC’s new report underlines that policymakers should urgently turn this strategy into concrete regulatory outcomes.

For instance, BEUC urges the EU to swiftly adopt a July 2023 proposal to phase out endocrine disrupters from toys, and to take up a request by five European countries to ban PFAS from consumer products. PFAS are chemicals that are inert to most natural breakdown processes and persist in humans and the environment for decades, that is why they are also called ‘forever chemicals’.

Beyond these proposals, BEUC calls on the EU to update its flagship chemicals law REACH so that authorities are able to take early and precautionary action before the use of a potentially harmful chemical becomes widespread.

The tests show the following:

• PFAS are present in everyday products including fast-food packaging, waffle irons, dental floss, face creams, jackets, and waterproofing sprays.

• Chemicals of concern are found in many products for children such as strollers, snowsuits, rubber boots, teething toys, dolls, sippy cups, as well as sunscreens.

• Online marketplaces play a big role in the sale of products containing hazardous substances including cheap jewellery, balloons, fidgets, and cosmetics – and yet they escape sufficient regulatory scrutiny.  

Monique Goyens, BEUC Director General, commented:

“From dawn to dusk, consumers are exposed to a cocktail of chemicals that are known or suspected to be harmful. Research by consumer organisations across Europe underlines the scale of the problem. Lawmakers must act now to deliver a toxic-free life for consumers. This includes speeding up the process by which authorities can take harmful chemicals off the market. Online marketplaces should also be held liable for the non-compliant products sold on their sites.”

Background: chemicals in consumer products

Consumers unwittingly come into contact with potentially harmful substances on a regular basis. Four out of five consumers express concerns about the presence of chemicals in the products they purchase [1].

While awareness of this issue is growing, the current regulation of chemicals in the EU does not address the full spectrum of potential risks.

About the tests

The tests compiled in BEUC’s report – Ubiquitous but preventable: Harmful chemicals in everyday consumer products – were published between 2017 and 2023 by consumer organisations in Austria (Verein für Konsumenteninformation), Belgium (Testachats / Testaankoop), Czechia (dTest), Denmark (Forbrugerrådet Tænk), France (UFC-Que Choisir), Germany (Stiftung Warentest), Italy (Altroconsumo), the Netherlands (Consumentenbond), Slovenia (Zveza Potrošnikov Slovenije – ZPS), Spain (OCU), Sweden (Sveriges Konsumenter), and Switzerland (Fédération Romande des consommateurs – FRC).

Highlighted examples

• PFAS in fast food packaging: In 2017, BEUC members found high levels of fluorinated compounds in one-third of 65 tested fast-food packaging. A 2018 test showed similar results, with fluorinated compounds detected in more than 25% of the tested samples.

• Bisphenols in children’s products: In a test of teething toys, 7 out of 10 released one or more bisphenols (up to 4), including BPA and its equally toxic cousins, BPS and BPF. In another test, 11 snowsuits for children all contained small amounts of BPA. And in yet another test, consumer organisations found that 8 out of 16 tested drinking bottles / sippy cups released bisphenols.

• Cheap jewellery sold via online marketplaces: In one test, 7 out of 17 items purchased from online marketplaces did not live up to the legal requirements: 6 items released too much nickel, which is allergenic. Some of the jewellery also contained the heavy metals lead and cadmium. One item contained 38% cadmium – or around 4,000 times above the legal limit – while another item contained 12% lead (1,200 times above the legal limit).

Read more

• Hormone-disrupting chemicals found in 60% of 121 children’s products (Research, May 2023)

• Towards toxic-free lives (BEUC position paper, May 2021)

BEUC’s recommendations to policymakers

• Phase out all harmful chemicals from consumer products.

• Better enforce existing legislation in the market: For instance, BEUC advocates uniform conditions and frequency of checks for high-risk products.

• Increase transparency about chemicals present in consumer products.

• Promote safer alternatives and ensure that replacements do not pose similar risks to human health and the environment.

• Strengthen import controls to prevent the sale of products that may pose risks to consumer health and/or contain substances already banned in the EU.

[1] Eurobarometer (2017), Attitudes of European citizens towards the environment.

ENDS