EU: dangerous face masks and toxic disinfectants in the European market. Alert from the yearly Safety Gate report

Now, face masks and anti-Covid disinfectants add to the usual toys, clothes or electric materials. The market of dangerous non-food products is expanding, as proven by the yearly report of Safety Gate, the EU rapid alert system that helps recall products that are dangerous for humans. The report states that “the number of times the authorities have had to take measures following an alert is growing year by year, with a peak of 5,377 in 2020, versus 4,477 in 2019”. 9% of the alerts sent in 2020 “concerns Covid-related items, mainly face masks that are unsuitable for the purpose”. Other examples of dangerous products reported by the Safety Gate are disinfectants that contain toxic chemicals, “such as methanol, which may cause blindness or even death if ingested, or UV sanitising agents that have exposed users to strong radiation and caused skin rashes”. The Commissioner for Justice, Didier Reynders, stated: “The Safety Gate has proven to be crisis-resistant. During the pandemic, it helped protect consumers, thus standing out as a key tool to efficiently and quickly spreading information about dangerous products (dangerous face masks, toxic disinfectants) and having them recalled from the market”.
Valentina Bombelli