Fidget spinners, a toy that shot to popularity last year, are among products sold in the EU that are most commonly flagged as posing a health risk, the European Commission says.
The three-pronged propeller-like contraption with a central circular bearing can be balanced on the thumb, tossed from one hand to the other or simply used to keep hands busy.
Fans of the toy say they are highly addictive and help with stress relief. But the commission found that, because fidget spinners often come fitted with battery-powered LED lights, they present a risk to children who can easily access the batteries and swallow them.
The European Commission's RAPEX rapid alert system included 11 models of fidget spinner flagged in 2017 and removed from the market for failing to comply with EU toy safety rules.
Each year, the commission publishes a report on dangerous products to be banned, withdrawn or recalled within the European Union's single market. The list ranges from toys, clothing and cosmetics to professional machinery and vehicles.
The most commonly flagged goods are toys, which are often found to have small parts that young children can choke on, contain dangerous chemicals or come in plastic packaging that can pose a suffocation risk, among other things.
Imports from China regularly top the list of dangerous items, due in part to the country being the EU's largest supplier of goods. In 2017, 53 per cent of flagged products came from China and Hong Kong, while 26 per cent were of EU origin.
