Intertoys has pulled a line of stretchy toy monkeys from its shelves after new lab tests found the sand inside them contains asbestos, one month after the retailer was first warned and promised to act.
The toys, sold under the Orb brand, are squishy monkeys that children can pull and squeeze. The trouble is what’s inside.
When one tears, sand spills out, and that sand isn’t safe.
What did the tests actually find?
As part of an investigation by AD, two monkeys bought from Intertoys were sent to accredited asbestos laboratory Nomacon in IJsselstein.
Both were found to contain chrysotile, a common form of white asbestos, at levels between 0.1 and 2%. As NOS reports, the European legal limit is 0.1%, so even the lower reading sits right at the edge.
This isn’t an isolated scare either. The Orb toys were previously recalled in the United States, where around 120,000 were pulled, and also in Slovenia.
Why did it take Intertoys so long?
Journalists flagged the monkeys to Intertoys and the food safety watchdog, the NVWA (the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority), about a month ago.
Intertoys said it had missed the international fuss and promised to withdraw the toys. They vanished from the webshop, but AD reporters kept finding them in physical stores.
The retailer admitted to AD that the sales stop wasn’t followed through properly. A full recall only started yesterday, Tuesday, July 7.
It’s the latest twist in a wider scandal that has already involved asbestos in children’s play sand and the recall of Pufferz toys.
What should you do if you own one?
The NVWA advises against sweeping or vacuuming any spilled sand, and against throwing it in your normal bin.
Instead, experts recommend wrapping the toy in double plastic and taking it to a milieustraat (municipal waste and recycling centre). If a toy has already broken, it’s best to ask a certified asbestos company for advice.
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