A mother was left stunned after inspecting the label on a capybara backpack she purchased from TKMaxx for her daughters, discovering a warning about potential exposure to chemicals known to cause cancer and birth defects.
What Happened
Mia Martina bought the capybara backpacks, adorned with a tutu and princess crown, as a reward for her daughters' gymnastics medals. The children had been sleeping and cuddling with the backpacks, which they adored. When one daughter asked her to hold the bag, Mia noticed the labels were annoyingly obvious and decided to cut them off.
The first label indicated the bag was 100% polyester and made of all new materials, which did not concern her. Other brand-related labels also seemed harmless. However, a warning label caught her attention. It read: "Warning: This product can expose you to chemicals, including perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and bisphenol A (BPA), which are known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm. For more information, go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov."
Reaction and Concerns
Mia said she felt she had to take the backpacks off the kids but knew they would be really upset. She shared her dilemma on social media, asking: "TKMaxx... what do I do about this? Are we always exposing our kids to this in the UK, or should we not be using this? This is an American standard... should we have it here? Someone help."
In the comments, a former TKMaxx employee explained: "I used to work in TKMaxx, those signs on nearly every American item we sold. They are just a formality more than anything." Another commenter added: "It’s nothing to worry about. Just a disclaimer, they have to put on US goods due to the crazy legal system over there. As someone else said, if you Google it, you’ll get the info on it. I did return a baby set I bought that had this on it, though, as it kind of made it look inappropriate to give as a gift to a newborn!"
A third user noted: "It has the CE and UKCA mark in the labels too, so it complies with all European and UK strict health and safety standards."
TKMaxx Statement
A TKMaxx spokesperson said: "We would like to reassure you that at TK Maxx and Homesense, our customers’ wellbeing is our top priority and we take product safety very seriously. As a global business, we source products from a wide range of international suppliers and sell in a number of markets, each with its own regulatory requirements. The warning label shown relates to Proposition 65, a state-specific requirement in California. Proposition 65 requires warnings on products that may contain certain listed substances. The thresholds are often significantly lower than the chemical limits established under UK law, with many manufacturers choosing to apply these warnings as a precautionary measure. We understand how this label might create confusion for our UK / EU customers who do not regularly see this label. The presence of a Proposition 65 warning does not mean there is a safety concern or that it does not comply with UK requirements. Products sold in the UK are expected to meet applicable UK safety standards, including relevant toy safety and chemical regulations. We hope this helps clarify the distinction between California’s Proposition 65 labelling requirements and the UK regulatory framework."
