How to tell if your squishy dumpling toy is fake after 4-year-old boy hospitalised

Fresh advice has been issued for parents thinking of purchasing knock-off ‘Squishy Dumplings’ after a child was hospitalised as an unregulated item exploded in his face.

Toy collectors and caregivers of young children will already be well acquainted with the Dumpling Squishy, the ‘super-soft sensory toy’ designed for stress relief and focus.

The in-demand item can be purchased in various colours and picked up in a ‘mystery box’, with RMS, a UK-founded toy company, behind the official operation.

However, like many toy trends, other companies have jumped on the bandwagon—and their items could be potentially dangerous.

It’s understood that Trading Standards and local councils across Britain have seized thousands of counterfeit ‘squishy dumplings’ from various warehouses.

These faux squishies are unlikely to have passed safety inspections and therefore could pose a risk to you and your family.

Look out for personal business details and CE mark

Advice has been issued to parents after thousands of counterfit Dumpling Squishy toys were seized (Getty Stock Image)

Trading standards officer Mark told the BBC that you should look out for the name and address of a UK importer on your packets of Squishy Dumplings.

If the products don’t have a British address, then it’s very unlikely that they have been tested for harmful substances.

The official stressed: "We don't know what they're made of, we don't know what testing has been done, if any, and if there is a problem with the toys there's no-one in the UK to go back to.”

Once seized and probed, it was understood that some of the untested items contained chemicals like benzene, a clear flammable liquid that can cause cancer if breathed in.

Some of the squishy toys have also been found to contain phthalates—chemicals deemed ‘hazardous’ by the UK government.

You can confirm if your toy has been tested by looking for the UKCA or CE safety mark.

“Children's safety is our top priority and any toy sold in the UK must meet our strict laws. People should contact their local Trading Standards with any safety concerns,” the UK government said.

Child hospitalised from exploding faux toy

A child was hospitalised after their toy 'exploded' in their face (Getty Stock Image)

Four-year-old Hudson was rushed to the hospital earlier this month when a squishy toy his mother bought him from Shein ‘popped and exploded’ in his face.

Jodanna Bevan informed the BBC that she’d purchased the viral toy at a discount rate and that the site has taken her claims ‘seriously’ and removed the item from sale.

Upon arrival at the hospital, Hudson had water flushed through his eyes to correct their pH balance; his vision was damaged, with doctors giving him eye drops to ‘fix it’.

Since supporting her son through his ordeal Bevan has claimed she will no longer order toys through Shein or other online retailers.

"You just feel so guilty as a parent for buying it. Don't buy cheap,” she warned.

In a statement, Shein said: "Our product safety and compliance teams have reviewed this case, and the product involved is no longer available on our platform.

"Our customer service team has also reached out to the family concerned and we wish them a speedy recovery.

"All sellers are required to comply with Shein's code of conduct, our product safety standards, and the applicable laws and regulations of the markets where we operate.

"Earlier this year, well before we became aware of this incident, Shein took the precautionary decision to enhance our controls relating to the sale of squishy dumpling products on our platform.

"We continue to advocate for greater cross-platform information sharing on problematic listings and sellers."