Online marketplaces like Temu and Shein have aggressively expanded into Europe in recent years, but are raising serious concerns among experts, "Impulss" reported, not only because of counterfeiting, but also over concerns over the presence of banned hazardous substances, as well as a lack of sufficient information for buyers on the online points of sale, and even false advertisxing.

The Estonian Tax and Customs Board (MTA) unpacked a bag full of confiscated goods before the "Impulss" cameras.

"Customs usually uses a process called risk analysis, with which we identify items with higher risk potential. In the case of goods arriving from Asian platforms, the most common problems we have encountered concern product safety," explained Albina Saar, chief inspector for goods and postal inspections at the MTA.

Among the prohibited products laid out on the table for "Impulss," a Labubu-style toy immediately stands out. Last year, Labubu collectible dolls took over Estonian kindergartens and schools practically overnight, as they did worldwide. However, their limited availability and high prices led to widespread counterfeiting in China, "Impulss" said.

"With these 'Labubus', there are several problems at once. The first and perhaps easiest issue to address is intellectual property infringement — these are fakes. And when we take a closer look, we can see their poor quality. Then other concerns emerge as well: are they for children, do pieces come loose, were safe materials used," Saar said.

The counterfeit toys caught the attention not only of customs authorities but also of the Consumer Protection and Technical Regulatory Authority (TTJA). In early May, the agency tested the safety of the Labubu-like toys. Seventy percent of the counterfeit toys were found to pose a serious choking hazard for small children, while 20 percent contained phthalates — substances dangerous to the hormonal system and linked to increased cancer risk.

"With counterfeit products, low-quality materials are very often used because manufacturers are trying to cut costs somewhere. The easiest place to save money is on materials and labor," Saar noted.

Meanwhile, Mari-Anne Härma, deputy director general of the Health Board (Tervisamet), said the issue lies specifically with products containing substances banned in the EU.

"Over time, more and more of these substances inevitably emerge," Härma said.

At the end of last year, consumer protection authorities from several EU member states published a report testing the safety of toys ordered from Chinese shopping platforms like Temu and Shein. One seemingly harmless soft bus-shaped children's tissue holder was found to contain five times the permitted level of formaldehyde, banned in the EU, for instance.

"Formaldehyde — once a very common substance used in the cosmetics industry — is now banned in the European Union because it has been proven capable of causing cancer," Härma continued.

"Just because something is openly and legally sold in another country does not mean it is also permitted in Estonia or the European Union more broadly," she added.

All EU member states can report newly identified dangerous products through the Safety Gate system, which issued more than 4,500 alerts last year.

"Impulss" investigated the quality of goods ordered from China first-hand. The show did so by ordering two inexpensive beauty products from Temu, and asked the Health Board to analyze these once they arrived.

The first product tested was a metallic-type lipstick. Even the packaging of this product was misleading.

"Since it is marketed here as 'metallic,' it makes perfect sense to test a product like that immediately, for various heavy metals banned in the European Union," Härma said. The metallic substances would in that case be used to create the indicated shade users of the lipstick would want.

Chemist Merili Tammik pointed out high levels of heavy metals in samples can be harmful to human health. "Especially with cosmetic samples like lipstick, which inevitably enters the digestive system to some extent, the impact can be quite significant."

In addition to those containing heavy metals, products which contain allergenic fragrances can also require testing. To that end, "Impulss" selected a body scrub, which cost just a few euros. It was not initially clear whether and to what extent this product contained fragrance substances at all.

Ilona Honga, chief specialist in the Health Board's chemical safety department, said that even small amounts of some fragrance substances can be dangerous to people who are allergic to them, for instance asthmatics.

"We are used to thinking that even natural fragrances derived from essential oils are okay, but if you have an allergy, they can also trigger asthma. Consequently, people need to be very careful with fragrances," Honga explained.

When the MTA intercepts a product at the Estonian border that may be harmful to health, it sends the item to a laboratory for testing as "Impulss" had done.

According to Saar, such products frequently involve multiple violations: they may constitute intellectual property theft, i.e. are fake, but can also contain substances hazardous to health, such as those noted. These are usually used in production for cost-cutting measures. Sometimes products may not be up to their intended purpose. An example of this "Impulss" picked up on was sunglasses which had been ordered online.

A completely separate category relates to products containing endangered animal or plant species. Importing these items into the EU requires certification, which Saar said is usually absent in the case of smaller orders. Saar gave the rather alarming example of a dietary supplement claiming to contain tigers' whiskers.

"When ordering a product, there should already be a list of ingredients visible alongside it. That is actually an important sign that the manufacturer is aware of and understands safety regulations," Härma stressed.

So what were the results of the "Impulss" product tests?

Analysis conducted by the Health Board confirmed that both the lipstick and the body scrub contained all substances within permitted limits and matched the ingredients listed on the packaging. However, at the time of ordering, the products' internet listings lacked precise descriptions of the products' contents, meaning purchasers might not know what they were ordering.

"In fact, this information must also be visible online before a person orders the product. If it is not visible, there would actually already be grounds to initiate supervision proceedings," Härma said.

Also, during the testing commissioned by "Impulss," the board identified two fragrance substances in the body scrub which were not listed on the packaging. However, this was not considered a violation, as the quantities were negligible.

If a product is found to be dangerous, EU authorities will contact the Chinese sales platform and request that the item be removed from sale in the EU, though this is not failsafe.

"Unfortunately, it is clear that when a product is removed from the market, that does not guarantee it will not return. Follow-up monitoring shows that certain banned or withdrawn products reappear on sale after some time, and then they have to be dealt with again. It is an ongoing process," Härma noted.

Saar clarified her authority can only inspect counterfeit items at the external EU border.

"But once they are already inside the European Union, then it is no longer really our issue. We hear very often: 'Have you seen what's being sold somewhere, those same Labubus at fairs?' But at that point nothing more can be done — customs no longer has the authority," she concluded. 

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