SQUISHIES UPDATE: Aussie stores won't take them off sale

Aussie shops aren't pulling potentially harmful squishies off their shelves even though they have been banned in Europe.

Retailers including Smiggle and Kmart have yet to react to a report by officials in Denmark found the popular toys they tested contained harmful chemicals that could cause cancer.

Squishies are little foam toys, like stress balls, which come in a range of shapes and sizes. Many kids collect them and trade them with friends.

The Danish environment agency conducted a test after reports of the products giving off a strong chemical smell. It found all of the 12 products tested emitted high levels of harmful substances. This could cause cancer, liver damage, eye irritation and even impair fertility.

Chemicals expert Rachael Wakefield-Rann from the University of Technology Sydney told The New Daily that producst are often allowed to be sold in Australia BEFORE they are tested for long-term health problems.  

“As a result, many products contain chemicals that have never been tested for properties, such as being carcinogenic or endocrine disrupting,” she told The New Daily.