A joint inspection by the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection (UOKiK), the Trade Inspection (IH), and the National Revenue Administration (KAS) uncovered serious threats linked to artificial jewelry imported into Poland. Samples revealed excessive amounts of heavy metals—cadmium and lead—exceeding permissible limits by up to 400 times. As a result of the controls, over one million pieces and nearly half a ton of non-compliant jewelry were seized.
Dangerous Heavy Metals in Jewelry
Cadmium and lead are toxic heavy metals with carcinogenic effects. Their presence in products that have prolonged skin contact, such as jewelry, poses a significant health risk, especially to children and adolescents who often choose cheaper artificial jewelry.
During the inspection, 227 batches of jewelry detained at the border by the Customs and Tax Service were examined. Among them, as many as 67% were improperly labeled or exceeded the allowed heavy metal content limits.
Alarming Laboratory Test Results
Thirty-three jewelry samples underwent detailed chemical analysis in UOKiK and KAS laboratories, revealing alarming results:
- A necklace contained 333 times the allowed lead concentration,
- A brooch contained 400 times the allowed cadmium level,
- A bracelet contained 400 times the allowed cadmium and 118 times the allowed lead.
Such significant exceedances of the permissible limits (0.05% for lead and 0.01% for cadmium) indicate products that should not be placed on the market due to health risks.
Inspection Outcomes
As a result of the inspections, KAS and its partners blocked the introduction into circulation of:
- Over 1,183,000 pieces of artificial jewelry,
- Nearly 467 kg of products,
- Including 4,495 pieces of jewelry with dangerous heavy metal exceedances.
UOKiK President Tomasz Chróstny emphasizes that controlling and eliminating dangerous products is crucial because the safety of jewelry cannot be judged by appearance alone. Cooperation with KAS allows risky products to be stopped at the border before reaching stores.
Małgorzata Krok, Deputy Head of KAS, notes that such coordinated actions protect consumers and raise importer awareness of legal requirements.
Compared to inspections conducted in 2023, the rate of non-compliance dropped by 22 percentage points, suggesting increased importer awareness and effectiveness of control measures.
Conclusion
Although artificial jewelry is attractive price-wise, it can pose a serious health risk, especially to children and teenagers. Therefore, it is vital to control the chemical composition and proper labeling of products.
Under EU regulations, every product available on the market must guarantee consumer safety. State authorities such as KAS, UOKiK, and IH enforce these requirements through regular and coordinated inspections.
Sources: Office of Competition and Consumer Protection, National Revenue Administration, Trade Inspection (2025)
Source: ceo.com.pl
