Image copyrightWhich? Image caption Hamleys has stopped selling Frootiputti slime
Hamleys has stopped selling a children’s gunk plaything after the product neglected a safety experiment for boron, a compound that are able impair fertility.
Tests by consumer group Which? found that Frootiputti slime, made by Goobands and sold at Hamleys, had four times the EU limit for boron in toys.
The retailer said it was a “precautionary measure” while it investigated further.
Which? said it had experimented 13 sludges and encountered six broke the rules on boron.
These included goos bought from Smyths Toys Superstores and Amazon, as well as a product classified as a putty from Argos.
Slime became one of 2017 ‘s biggest crazes, with millions of people sharing pictures on Instagram and watching DIY slime-making videos on YouTube.
But many of the dolls use the mineral borax, which contains boron, to help create their stickiness.
Over-exposure to boron can cause skin discomfort, diarrhoea, vomiting and cramps. At high levels it may also affect fertility or cause harm to unborn children placed in pregnant women.
Image copyrightWhich? Image caption HGL’s Ghostbusters slime had more than three times the limit
Examples of sludges tested by Which?
The DIY Slime Kit, just made by Essenson and available from Amazon, included a purple goo that had four-and-half days the legal degree of boron.
HGL’s Ghostbusters slime, which can be bought in Smyths Toys Superstores, had more than three times the limit.
Fun foam, made by Zuru Oosh and sold by Argos also broke EU rules on boron
Image copyright Which? Image caption Hamleys has stopped selling Frootiputti slime 
