Tests by trading standards officers at East Renfrewshire Council have now sparked a national recall of the offending fake noses and teeth.
Officers discovered dangerous levels of a substance called Phthalates which, they say, has been “linked to impaired fertility and toxicity in humans.”
Safety rules say there should be no more than 0.1% of the substance in toys or childcare items.
But the test samples submitted showed approximately 300 times the permitted level – the teeth contained 29.85% and the nose contained 30.58%.
The recalled items were labelled Nasty Nashers and Nose, and came in a green packet with black writing.
Paul Holland, senior trading standards officer at East Renfrewshire Council, said: “As part of our ongoing commitment to the safety of consumers we undertake a targeted testing purchasing scheme on goods. We purchased ten Halloween products which were then tested by the Public Analyst.
“We were concerned to discover that one of the goods exceeded levels of a restricted chemical by over 150 times and a second sample of the same item by more than 300 times.
“The levels of Phthalate are particularly concerning in an item such as novelty teeth designed to be put in a child’s mouth. The results confirm the importance of testing products for compliance with safety standards.
“We alerted local retailers and would like to thank them for acting swiftly to remove this item.”
Community safety convener, Councillor Mary Montague, said: “This product recall highlights the important work of our trading standards service.”
Carol O’Donnell manageress of Spar, Mearns Road, Clarkston said: “The safety of children is of paramount importance.
“It is good that trading standards keep an eye open for products such as these that are potentially dangerous to young ones.”
The trading standards service where the importer is based are co-ordinating a national recall of the product from shops.
The ‘Nasty Nashers and Nose’ product are in a green packet with black writing on the back of the package and the item number is 28407.
Trading standards warn parents who have already bought this product to return it to the retailer for a refund.
According to The Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals Enforcement Regulations 2008, the substance Phthalate is banned for use in toys and childcare articles where the concentration exceeds 0.1% by mass of plasticised material.
