pinfa position paper: FRs and toys

FRs are not legally required and are not generally used in toys. Unintentional traces of FRs do not generally pose health risks. This pinfa position paper aims to address misconceptions, suggesting that flame retardants are widely used in toys, and respond to some media misinterpretation of reports of traces of FRs.

There are no EU, North America or global regulations which require FRs in toys in general. On the other hand, the EU Toy Safety Regulation 2025/2509 does exclude or set thresholds for potentially harmful chemicals in general. Some regulations (e.g. EN 71-2 or ASTM F963) do require fire safety for certain specific items, such as costumes or electric toys, but manufacturers can achieve this without using FRs.

Traces of FRs found in plastics in toys are generally at levels clearly showing that they have not been deliberately added and probably come from contamination, e.g. from recycled plastics or from processing of plastics for different uses. There is no evidence that these trace levels pose relevant risks to children.

pinfa position paper, June 2026, 3 pages “Trace amounts, clarifying frequent misconceptions: Why PIN Flame Retardants are not intentionally added to most toys” https://www.pinfa.eu/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/pinfa_position-paper_Toys_Final.pdf