Controversy surfaced on media outlets in Egypt as users circulated news about kids’ toy, ‘Slime’, which is believed to pose a serious health hazards to children, as well as adults.
Slime was a toy product created by American toy-manufacturer Mattel. The toy was sold in a plastic trash can and introduced in the winter of 1976. It was squishy and usually colored oozy green among other colors and was made primarily from guar gum.
A number of kids’ mothers spread warnings through social media on the serious dangers of the toy to children. Some of them said that they are working to manufacture it inside their homes using raw materials that are not dangerous.
According to local media reports, the Supply Authority inside Egypt’s Port Said Governorate carried out raids against dealers of the toy and were able to seize 200 Slime toys after reports of its serious danger for childrens’ health.
Head of the Committee of Toxicology at the Academy of Scientific Research and Technology, Samih Abdel Qader, told Egypt Independent on Monday that it is not necessary for parents to simply buy any toy their kids are asking for.
He added that there are seriously hazardous materials used in the manufacturing process of Slime toys, such as Uric acid and glue, with the materials representing a high danger to kids’ health and potentially causing skin infections.
With intensive exposure to such materials from kids, some of whom may put the toy inside their mouth to taste, kids may be at a higher risk to cancer, explained Qader.
He also warned parents not to buy games without realizing their components, while also emphasizing that manufacturing toys inside their own homes using chemical materials is not effective as it may represent similar threats to their health.
