Overview
- Laboratory tests on 21 latex balloon packs bought from seven online marketplaces found eight with carcinogenic chemicals above UK legal limits.
- One AliExpress balloon exceeded nitrosamine limits by more than six times, while eBay and The Range items were over four times the safe level.
- A Debenhams-listed pack contained more than twice the legal amount of nitrosatable substances, which can form nitrosamines when mixed with saliva.
- An Amazon Marketplace purchase triggered a later warning to buyers that the balloons contained at least 25 times the legal limit of potentially carcinogenic chemicals.
- AliExpress, eBay, Shein, Debenhams, The Range, and Wilko removed flagged listings, with Wilko issuing a precautionary recall pending further testing.