The most frequently reported dangerous products in 2025 were cosmetics (36%), toys (16%), and electrical appliances and equipment (11%)
The European Union (EU) Rapid Alert System for dangerous non-food products registered, in 2025, a record number of 4,671 alerts on goods such as cosmetics, toys and electrical appliances, the European Commission announced this Thursday.
“In 2025, 4,671 alerts were reported in the Safety Gate system [Portal de Segurança]the highest number since the launch of the system in 2003. This is an increase of 13% compared to 2024, and more than double the number of alerts registered in 2022”, announced the community executive.
According to Brussels, national authorities also issued a record number of follow-up actions, with 5,794 measures notified, representing a 35% increase on the previous year.
“This reflects the increasing effectiveness of the system, reinforced by the General Product Safety Regulation, which enables increasingly systematic sharing of information between market surveillance authorities across the EU and the European Economic Area,” the institution said.
The most frequently reported dangerous products in 2025 were cosmetics (36%), toys (16%), and electrical appliances and equipment (11%).
Health risks from products containing dangerous chemicals continued to be the main cause of alerts, accounting for more than half of all notifications (53%), followed by others such as risk of injury (14%) and risk of suffocation (9%).
“Almost 8 out of 10 cosmetics-related alerts were linked to the presence of BMHCA, a banned synthetic fragrance that can have harmful effects on the reproductive system and cause skin irritation,” the institution pointed out.
Furthermore, for the first time, national authorities also reported cases of nail polish containing TPO, a chemical banned in 2025, which can pose risks to prenatal health and cause allergic reactions.
In the face of such risks, measures adopted by national authorities include withdrawing products from the market, blocking products at borders, ordering online markets to remove product advertisements and recalling products already sold to consumers.
The EU Rapid Alert System allows market surveillance authorities in the Union and the European Economic Area to quickly share information about dangerous non-food products and take swift action.
At a press conference in Brussels, the European Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, Rule of Law and Consumer Protection, Michael McGrath, admitted that many of these products come from China, which is why he defended “an increased level of cooperation with the Chinese authorities” to “adapt to European standards”.
