NKFH: Hungary will be fourth in Europe in screening dangerous products in 2024

Safety Gate is a rapid alert system operated by the European Union that enables the rapid sharing of information on dangerous non-food products among member states. Thanks to this, national authorities – including Hungarian market surveillance authorities – are able to intervene quickly to protect consumers.

47 percent of the Hungarian alerts submitted concerned cosmetics, which were classified as dangerous due to the presence of BMHCA, which is banned from March 2022. The toxic substance BMHCA can cause skin sensitization, damage the reproductive system and the health of unborn children.

This was followed by decorative lighting strings (19 percent) and electrical appliances (14 percent), such as hair dryers, extension cords and USB chargers, which posed a risk of electric shock and burns. For toys reported (11 percent), phthalates continued to pose a high risk, as did choking hazards, hearing damage and lack of flame resistance.

Vehicles, clothing, childcare equipment, sporting goods and laser pointers were among the remaining alerts.

In the statement, Lilla Német-Weingartner, president of the NKFH, explained that “Hungary has been at the forefront of screening dangerous products for years. 97 percent of the 365 alerts indicated a serious risk, the remainder were medium or high-risk products. The active presence of authorities contributes not only to the safety of domestic consumers, but also to the safety of residents of the entire European Union.”