In a recent collaborative testing campaign, consumer organisations from Czechia, Slovenia and Hungary have exposed significant safety issues in pacifiers, including the presence of harmful bisphenols. The findings underscore a critical need for stronger EU-wide chemical regulations and greater transparency in consumer product manufacturing.
The product test initiated by the Czech consumer organisation - dTest, collected nineteen pacifier samples from stores in the Czechia, Slovenia, and Hungary, along with two purchased from the online marketplace Temu (1). The laboratory tests (2), which simulated an effect of children’s saliva, revealed a troubling discovery: bisphenol A, officially classified as hormonal disruptor by REACH regulation, was found to be leaching from four pacifiers, including those marketed as "BPA-free." Out of these 4 samples leaching BPA, one was bought at TEMU online market store and three were manufactured by big brands sold across the EU. This finding suggests a lack of transparency in the chemical content of materials used in production and raises serious questions about potentially misleading consumer claims.
The most notable case was the Curaprox Baby Grow with Love Soother, which measured a high concentration of 19 µg/kg (micrograms per kilogram) of BPA in artificial saliva. Following notification by the Slovenian consumer organization ZPS, the manufacturer, Curaden, reacted professionally and immediately. The company conducted its own confirmatory tests and promptly initiated a recall of all affected pacifier batches.
"This is an example of a responsible producer taking immediate action," said Hana Hoffmannová, Chief Editor of dTest, which initiated the tests. "However, the fact that a product labeled 'BPA-free' contained BPA highlights a systemic issue. Is it a misleading claim, or is there a lack of knowledge about the chemical composition of raw materials in the supply chain? This is why NGOs and consumer associations have been calling for increased transparency and full traceability of chemicals in consumer products. This should not be limited to only Substances of Very High Concern, but all chemicals as lack of data often prevents consumers to make a well-informed decision on which product to buy", said Emese Gulyas, representative of the Association of Conscious Consumers (TVE) in Hungary and leading manager of the ToxFree Life for All project.
Call for Comprehensive Chemical Bans
These findings add to a growing body of evidence from the "ToxFree Life for All" project (3), which previously found bisphenols in underwear. This repeated pattern of chemical contamination points to a glaring gap in current EU legislation.
"Pacifiers are often one of the first items parents buy, and they do not expect to be exposing their children to hormone disrupting chemicals from day one," Hana Hoffmannová, Chief Editor of dTest added. "It is illogical that bisphenols are banned in baby bottles but not in pacifiers, which babies use more intensively and in some cases for long years. We are seeing a lack of stringent regulation, and it is failing consumers. For manufacturers and importers, the legal environment would become easier if bisphenols were banned in all consumer products, especially those intended for children," said Karolina Brabcova of Arnika, a Czech based NGO following the EU chemicals legislation process.
Consumer organizations are pushing for a comprehensive, group-based ban on all bisphenols in all consumer products, following up on the German proposal toward the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) to ban a group of bisphenols classified as endocrine disruptors of environmental concern. The current market relies on self-regulation in the case of bisphenols for example, which our test results prove is insufficient and places children at unnecessary risk.
The public's demand for stronger protections is clear, as detailed on the ToxFree Products Now website (toxfreeproductsnow.eu). The ToxFree Life for All project is calling on EU decision-makers to implement swift and comprehensive legislation to regulate the safety of children's products and ensure effective market oversight.
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