Tests on latex balloons sold by major online and high street retailers have found some products containing far above the legal limit of potentially cancer-causing nitrosamines, raising fresh concerns about party goods safety and oversight of imported stock sold on platforms such as AliExpress, eBay, The Range, Wilko, Debenhams, and Shein.

Several flagged balloon ranges have since been withdrawn while retailers contact customers and review suppliers, with an earlier recall also involving Amazon Marketplace. Safety experts advise parents to avoid allowing children to suck or chew balloons and to discard any products that appear poor quality or give off a strong chemical smell.