UK recalls children's sand art kits over asbestos

Two children's sand art kits have been recalled from major UK retailers after testing confirmed they contained asbestos, adding to a growing number of contaminated products pulled from shelves in recent months. The consumer group Which? identified tremolite asbestos in both kits, which were sold on Amazon Marketplace, TikTok Shop, Asda, and eBay.

One recalled product is a Montessori sand art tray designed for fine motor skill development, which remained available for purchase online until May despite an official recall notice issued by the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) in March. The second is a GL Style Sand Bottle Art set, sold by Asda under the brand RMS International Limited and also found listed by private sellers on eBay.

All forms of asbestos are classified as carcinogenic, and tremolite asbestos can cause severe lung disease if inhaled, even at low exposure levels. The sale of products containing any quantity of asbestos is prohibited in the UK. The OPSS has issued more than 39 recall notices for asbestos-contaminated sand products since November.

Sue Davies, head of consumer rights policy at Which?, stated it is outrageous that online marketplaces are...