Consumer Product Safety Commission<\/a> also issued a warning about fake and counterfeit squishy toys that \u201cmay pose serious risks to children.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/XSDT5NGXB5HC5CH2SQLPLUSCGY.jpg\")
Squishy bun toys Squishy bun toys are pictured here. (U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission) <\/p>\n
Counterfeit squishies are showing up online, on social media, and in discount stores and may contain hazardous or unsafe materials. According to a Consumer Reports investigation, it found children suffered chemical burns after their squishy toys burst open.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe do know that the risks are not just limited to counterfeit products. And we know that because as part of our investigation, our safety experts bought several toys and tested the gel inside, and one had an acidic pH the same as lemon juice or vinegar. And a pH like that can cause severe skin irritation, especially in children who have more delicate skin,\u201d said Gabe Knight with Consumer Reports.<\/p>\n
32 reports involving squishy toys: Health Canada<\/p>\n
CTV News also reached out to Health Canada regarding these squishy toys, and in a statement shared with CTV News, it confirmed that from April 23 to Aug. 18, 2026, Health Canada received 32 reports regarding the squishy toys.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne report did not mention any strong smells, only being concerned about the product due to seeing a news report about it, and 4 reports mentioned an injury (e.g., headache, skin rash, difficulty breathing). Health Canada is reviewing the reports to determine whether the products meet all regulatory requirements,\u201d the statement read.<\/p>\n
Health Canada noted that it has not confirmed that the toys pose a specific health or safety risk and recommended that consumers check all toys before buying them.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is worth noting that some countries don\u2019t have the same rules and regulations as Canada when it comes to toy safety. If you purchase a toy from outside of Canada, be aware that it may not meet our regulatory requirements,\u201d Health Canada said.<\/p>\n
The federal agency also advises consumers that it \u201cdoes not approve consumer products, including toys, prior to sale. However, Health Canada regularly monitors the marketplace and follows up on identified consumer product risks.\u201d<\/p>\n
What parents can do<\/p>\n
It\u2019s difficult, and sometimes impossible, for a parent to determine based on a package or an online listing whether a squishy toy is counterfeit, and many of the incidents reported involve name-brand products purchased at major retailers.<\/p>\n
\u201cRight now parents need more information because the safety risks may not just be limited to fake or off-brand toys,\u201d said Knight.<\/p>\n
If your child is playing with these squishy toys, Consumer Reports<\/a> advises a few strategies that can help keep them safe.<\/p>\nThey include not giving gel-filled toys to babies or toddlers, checking for holes or tears frequently, and if one does break on your child\u2019s skin, washing it off right away and throwing out the toy. <\/p>\n
Health Canada is also warning consumers to not leave squishy toys in hot cars or in direct sunlight on dashboards or other hot surfaces, as heat can cause them to burst and become a dangerous burn hazard.<\/p>\n
In cases where products are found non-compliant by Health Canada and a recall is required, Health Canada will publish the information on the Government of Canada\u2019s Recalls and Safety Alerts (RSA) website<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Counterfeit versions of a popular toy are raising concern over possible malfunctions that could leak, break and pose…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":871612,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[712,45,49,48],"class_list":["post-871611","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-business","tag-apple-news","tag-business","tag-ca","tag-canada"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/871611","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=871611"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/871611\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/871612"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=871611"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=871611"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=871611"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}