This week the Ministry of Social Rights, Consumer Affairs and the 2030 Agenda has released a report that collects statistics on non-food products notified in the alert network in 2025, and toys are, by far, the main focus of risk.
Of the 276 alerts registered nationwide last year, 125 correspond to toys, that is, 45.3% of the total. This is not an isolated or localized phenomenon: this category leads alerts in most autonomous communities. In some cases, with especially high percentages, such as 93.8% in Asturias, 66.7% in Aragón, 43.1% in the Community of Madrid, or 62.5% in Extremadura.
Behind this volume there is a clear pattern of risk. The main danger detected in 2025 was suffocation, with 103 alerts, generally linked to the presence or detachment of small parts in the toys themselves. At a great distance appear other risks, such as burns (68 cases), diverse injuries (34) or electric shocks (25).
The report does not establish causes, but the data point to a structural problem: the segment of products aimed at the most vulnerable population —children— is, at the same time, the one that concentrates the most incidents.
The institutional response falls, to a large extent, on the autonomous communities, which generate 85.9% of the alerts and carry out subsequent actions. In 2025, 1,767 monitoring interventions were registered on dangerous products, with a particular impact, again, on toys.
The control is fundamentally based on technical tests. Sample collection for laboratory analysis was the method used in 83.7% of cases, indicating that risk detection is not solely based on visual inspections, but on more complex verifications.
China, the great scapegoat
The report reflects that the alerted products have, in their vast majority, an Asian origin: 80.8%. Within that block, the weight of China is decisive: 212 out of 276 national alerts originate in this country, which represents 76.8% of the total. Far behind are products of European origin (8.7%) or those whose origin could not be identified (10.1%).
China is decisive: 212 out of 276 national alerts originate in this country.
It is not about a concrete category, but a transversal phenomenon. The alerted products include everything from toys—the most numerous category—to small appliances, lighting fixtures, electrical material, childcare articles, or personal protective equipment. The study does not delve into the causes, but it does allow for the identification of a context: a profoundly globalized market in which a large part of the products that reach the Spanish consumer come from international supply chains.
What is done with a dangerous product?
Behind every consumer alert there is a complex administrative process that begins in the market and can end with the withdrawal or destruction of a product. The system is articulated through the national Alert Network, coordinated by the Ministry of Social Rights, Consumer Affairs and the 2030 Agenda and connected to the European mechanism “Safety Gate”. Its objective is clear: to prevent dangerous non-food products from reaching consumers or remaining in circulation.
Detection falls mainly on the autonomous communities, which generate 85.9% of alerts. Based on inspections in establishments or specific controls, they identify potentially dangerous products and activate notification.
The next step is risk verification. In the vast majority of cases (83.7%), it is carried out by taking samples and analyzing them in a laboratory, a procedure that allows confirming whether the product fails to meet safety requirements. Direct verification or information provided by economic operators may also be involved.
Once accredited, measures are adopted that may vary depending on the severity. These include the withdrawal from the market, the prohibition of marketing, the immobilization of the product, or the suspension of its sale. In the most extreme cases, the destruction of the product or its recovery from consumers is contemplated.
The process does not end there. In 2025, 1,767 follow-up actions were registered, reflecting the continuity of control once the problem was detected. The authorities monitor that the measures are executed and that the products do not circulate again.
Furthermore, the system has an international dimension. Spain received 560 serious alerts through "Safety Gate" and notified the European Commission of 66 cases detected in the national market with possible impact in other countries.