News & InsightsNewsletterLegislation Hub

Foresight

Foresight
AboutContactLog in
Book a Demo
Foresight logo
All News & Insights

Temu Product Safety Violations Spark EU Compliance Concerns

General
17
April 2025
•
450
Dr Steven Brennan
Temu’s product safety violations reveal major EU compliance risks across the value chain. Learn what’s at stake and how to respond.
Cheap goods on conveyer belt
Quick prompts

AI Generated

Get to the point quicker with prompts - a smarter way to get the information you need from our articles.

Summarise this article

A BEUC report has revealed serious safety breaches in consumer products sold on Temu, with chemicals, mislabelling, and faulty items common. The findings raise urgent compliance and liability issues for value chain actors, particularly importers, distributors, and online platforms operating within EU markets.

What role do online marketplaces play in EU product safety enforcement?

Platforms like Temu are increasingly held accountable for product compliance under the Digital Services Act, especially when facilitating access to high-risk or illegal goods in EU markets.

How can service providers reduce exposure to non-compliant imports?

Logistics and retail actors can strengthen product checks, require third-party verification from sellers, and coordinate with regulatory bodies to ensure compliance with EU safety standards.

AI Assistant

This feature and much more is available on our platform. If you would like early access, please leave your email and we'll get in touch.

We'll be in touch when the Assistant is ready.
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
Mountains

Widespread product safety violations linked to the online platform Temu have raised major regulatory alarms in Europe. According to a February 2025 report by BEUC, over 200 consumer goods failed basic EU safety checks, highlighting growing risks for retailers, importers, logistics providers, and digital platforms involved in the value chain.

Chemical Hazards and Regulatory Breaches in Consumer Goods

Product tests coordinated by national consumer groups in Denmark, Italy, and the UK revealed extensive non-compliance with EU laws. In toys, tests found excessive levels of borates—linked to reproductive harm—and hormone-disrupting phthalates at up to 240 times the legal limit. In disposable tableware and baking paper, elevated fluorine levels indicated the illegal presence of PFAS, banned in Denmark due to serious health concerns.

These findings underscore the mounting challenge of monitoring goods entering the EU through online channels, where low-cost imports often bypass standard regulatory scrutiny.

Unsafe Electronics, Cosmetics, and Household Items in Focus

The report also highlights deficiencies in electrical tools, wireless cameras, and cosmetic products. UK-based tests revealed that 100% of smart doorbells and cameras lacked mandatory security update disclosures. In Italy, cosmetics were frequently mislabelled, with inconsistencies between ingredient lists and packaging claims. Other breaches included missing expiry dates, instructions in foreign languages only, and absence of CE markings.

From children’s toys with detachable parts to detergents packaged like sweets, the catalogue of risks points to systemic failures in cross-border product oversight.

Regulatory Ramifications and Sector-Wide Implications

These findings reinforce the European Commission’s focus on tightening enforcement under the General Product Safety Regulation and Digital Services Act. Online marketplaces such as Temu are now key nodes in the compliance landscape, and service providers across the supply chain—retailers, fulfilment centres, customs agents—must be alert to liability risks.

Importantly, these violations expose gaps that can have reputational, legal, and financial consequences for businesses involved in product movement or consumer interfacing, even if not directly manufacturing the items.

Read the source story

Read this article now for free!

You have read 3 articles.
Create a free account
or
Log in
to finish reading this article now.

Subscribe to our weekly digest

Sign up to receive our newsletter every Tuesday and get access to all of our content.

By creating an account, you agree to the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
This is some text inside of a div block.

Trusted by professionals at

Dupont
ECHA - European Chemicals Agency
Energizer
Chemours
This is some text inside of a div block.

Get Foresight Today

Stay compliant, reduce risk, and protect your business with our AI-powered chemical policy monitoring—tailored just for you.

Global monitoring of 1,200+ sources
Expert-reviewed, trusted regulatory alerts
Instant risk identification for 350k+ substances

Ready to supercharge your policy monitoring workflow?

We’ll be in touch soon with more details and support to help you get started.
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
Share with a friend
Copy link

Related Articles

EU parliamentEU Water Resilience Strategy Gains Momentum as MEPs Demand PFAS Phase-Out and Digital Upgrades

May 9, 2025

Chemicals productionEU Chemical Industry Faces Weak Q1 2025 as Energy Costs Undermine Competitiveness

May 9, 2025

EU ParliamentENVI Committee Pushes EU PFAS Ban Forward with Strong Political Backing

May 2, 2025

Foresight regulatory experts
Streamline your chemical compliance
Easy-to-use product compliance management for small and mid-sized manufacturers — mitigate risk and protect market access.
Get started
Subscribe to Foresight's newsletter
Stay ahead with the latest news & insights
Join 1,000s of compliance professionals getting the latest insights right to their inbox for free, every Tuesday.
100% free. No spam. Unsubscribe any time.
Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
Stay ahead with the latest news & insights
Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter covering news, events, and expert insights.

Related articles

EU parliament

EU Water Resilience Strategy Gains Momentum as MEPs Demand PFAS Phase-Out and Digital Upgrades

MEPs back the EU Water Resilience Strategy, calling for PFAS phase-out, digital solutions, and funding—key compliance watchpoints for industry.

9

May 2025

General
Chemicals production

EU Chemical Industry Faces Weak Q1 2025 as Energy Costs Undermine Competitiveness

EU chemical industry struggles in Q1 2025 as energy costs and weak demand hinder growth. Find out what this means for your value chain.

9

May 2025

General
UK parliament

UK Government Unveils Major Regulatory Reform to Boost Growth

The UK Government is cutting business compliance costs by 25% through regulatory reforms in manufacturing, chemicals, and infrastructure.

2

May 2025

General
Foresight
Providing critical insights, analysis, and guidance to help businesses anticipate changes, make informed decisions, and stay ahead.
News & Insights
Newsletter
Legislation Hub
Coverage
Contact
About
© 2025 Foresight. All rights reserved.
SitemapTerms of servicePrivacy policyCookie policy