TOKYO / BEIJING – January 27, 2026 – Following intensified industry-wide safety efforts and consumer awareness campaigns, the latest joint surveillance data released today by market regulators across China, Japan, South Korea and several Southeast Asian economies shows a clear and encouraging turnaround for plush toy safety.
Key positive highlights from the Q4 2025 – Q1 2026 monitoring period:
91.2% across 1,650 sampled plush toys (up 14.7 percentage points year-on-year)
/ EN7197.8%
Sharp-edge / small-part choking hazards dropped dramatically to only 4.1% of non-compliant cases (from 38.7% in the previous cycle)
6.3% (down from 24.6%)
Azo-dye (carcinogenic aromatic amine) violations decreased to 5.9% (down from 19.1%)
Major e-commerce platforms reported removing or recalling over 420,000 problematic plush items in the past six months, with proactive delisting rates exceeding 94%
Particularly encouraging is the performance of mid-to-high-end brands and licensed character plush toys: the non-conformance rate in this segment was only 3.4%, demonstrating that responsible manufacturing and stricter incoming material inspection can effectively control risks.
Switched to low-formaldehyde or formaldehyde-free filling materials
Adopted third-party laboratory batch testing before shipment
Upgraded sewing processes to ensure small parts withstand 90 N pulling force
Introduced "post-purchase ventilation + surface wipe" care labels in five languages
Consumer-protection organizations and parenting influencers are now jointly promoting the simple "3-second safety check" for plush toys:
Look for certification marks (CCC / ST / CE / EN71 etc.)
"This is real progress we can celebrate," said a senior official from the China National Toy Quality Supervision & Testing Center. "When companies, platforms, regulators and parents all move in the same direction, children get safer cuddle companions."
The relevant authorities indicated they will maintain high-frequency spot checks in 2026, but will gradually shift more resources toward rewarding and publicizing best-practice enterprises, aiming to make high-safety plush products the market norm rather than the exception.
(Compiled from official statements by SAMR, Japan CPSC equivalents, major e-commerce platforms' 2026 Q1 safety reports, and industry associations)
