Introduction
In the period 02.03.2026 - 08.03.2026, supervisory authorities published 7 alerts concerning product safety in Poland, including notices from the Chief Pharmaceutical Inspectorate (GIF), warnings from the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection (UOKiK), and information from retail chains and the EU Safety Gate system. The spotlight was on toys with choking and asbestos exposure risks, an unstable training bench, and quality issues in medicines used by children and adults.
According to UOKiK, products intended for the youngest consumers – both toys and paediatric medicines – require particular supervision. The Chief Pharmaceutical Inspector (GIF) this week published communications regarding Kidofen, Reparil Gel N and Veriflo. Although this roundup does not include new GIS warnings directly related to food, the system of GIS alerts on food safety remains a key element of consumer protection and complements the work of GIF and UOKiK.
The most serious hazards include potential exposure of children to asbestos fibres in the HTI Toys Stretcherz stretchy figure, the risk of chain detachment in a brush cutter blade accessory, and the possibility of choking on a soft doll with easily accessible filling. For medicines, various quality deviations were found, including out-of-specification active ingredient content, which may translate into reduced treatment efficacy or a higher risk of adverse reactions.
In brief
- 7 new notices: 4 product withdrawals from the consumer market and 3 GIF decisions on medicine quality.
- Most serious risks: asbestos fibres in the HTI Toys Stretcherz toy, an unstable Decathlon training bench and a dangerous brush cutter accessory with chains.
- Children are particularly affected: a soft doll with accessible filling and the paediatric painkiller Kidofen 125 mg in one batch.
- Authorities stress the need to monitor GIS food safety alerts, GIF notices and UOKiK warnings to protect family health and overall product safety.
GIF emphasises that any signal of quality defects in paediatric medicines is treated as a top priority.
UOKiK stresses that toys with easily accessible filling present a direct choking risk for the youngest children.
The GIS alert system on food safety complements GIF communications and UOKiK warnings, creating a coherent consumer protection mechanism.
Wycofania z obrotu
| Product | Store | Decision type | Hazard | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mounting for brush cutter blade "HZ" | n/a | Safety Gate notification | Possible chain fastener failure and injury | Critical |
| Doll - Soft toy 30 cm | n/a | Safety Gate notification | Easily accessible filling, choking risk | High |
| CORENGTH BENCH 500 FOLD training bench | Decathlon | Store notice | Unstable bench, risk of falls | High |
| Stretchy Figure HTI Toys Stretcherz | Auchan | Store notice | Possible trace amounts of asbestos | Critical |
Komunikaty i wstrzymania
| Product | Store | Decision type | Hazard | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reparil Gel N (10 mg + 50 mg)/g | n/a | GIF decision | Out-of-spec aescin content (OOS) | Medium |
| Kidofen 125 mg, suppositories | n/a | GIF decision | Exceeding limit for single impurity | High |
| Veriflo (25 mcg + 50 mcg)/dose inh. | n/a | GIF decision | Incorrect dose of fluticasone and salmeterol | Medium |
Wyróżnione komunikaty
Stretchy Figure HTI Toys Stretcherz
Hazard: Tests showed that the sand-like material inside some products may contain trace amounts of asbestos. Potential effects: Exposure to asbestos fibres, increased risk of respiratory diseases.
Store: Auchan | EAN: 3665257730918 | Manufacturer: HTI Toys
CORENGTH BENCH 500 FOLD training bench
Hazard: The product does not meet general product safety requirements due to instability of the bench during exercises, which can cause the user to lose balance and fall. Potential effects: falls, bodily injuries.
Store: Decathlon | EAN: n/a | Manufacturer: Decathlon Sp. z o.o.
Mounting for brush cutter blade "HZ"
Hazard: Screws or rivets fastening the chains to the blade may break, causing the chains to detach during use and strike the user, leading to serious bodily injuries. Potential effects: mechanical injuries, severe trauma.
Store: n/a | EAN: n/a | Manufacturer: HZ
Doll - Soft toy 30 cm
Hazard: The fibrous filling material of the toy is easily accessible. A small child may put it into the mouth and choke. Potential effects: choking.
Store: n/a | EAN: 5901811164156 | Manufacturer: n/a (batch 164156)
Analiza zagrożeń zdrowotnych
According to GIF notices and UOKiK warnings, all seven cases described here involve real risks to user health. For the mounting for brush cutter blade "HZ", the main hazard is mechanical injury: failure of screws or rivets can cause the chains to detach violently and hit the user’s head, limbs or torso. When working with cutting tools, such an event can lead to fractures, contusions or even eye injuries.
The soft doll with easily accessible fibrous filling presents a classic choking hazard. Young children explore the world by putting objects into their mouths – swallowing or lodging pieces of filling in the airways can, in extreme cases, result in oxygen deprivation and cardiac arrest. Likewise, the unstable CORENGTH BENCH 500 FOLD training bench increases the risk of losing balance during weight training. A fall while holding weights can cause injuries to the spine, shoulders, knees or head.
The potential presence of trace amounts of asbestos in the HTI Toys Stretcherz stretchy figure is particularly worrying. Long-term inhalation of asbestos fibres is linked to asbestosis, chronic respiratory diseases and cancers, including mesothelioma. Although a single toy does not cause immediate poisoning, any asbestos exposure for children is considered unacceptable, and products with such contamination must be removed from children’s environment.
GIF communications on Reparil Gel N, Kidofen 125 mg and Veriflo highlight non-compliance with quality parameters – from out-of-spec active ingredient content to exceeding impurity limits and lack of dose uniformity. In practice this may mean lack of expected efficacy (for example, inadequate pain, swelling or asthma control) or an increased risk of adverse reactions. For paediatric medicines such as Kidofen, the safety margin is particularly narrow, which is why any deviation triggers a swift regulatory response.
Sklepy i instytucje objęte komunikatami
Of the four market withdrawals, two concern toys (the soft doll and the HTI Toys Stretcherz figure), one of which was sold in the Auchan chain. One alert covers a specialist brush cutter accessory, and one covers the CORENGTH BENCH 500 FOLD training bench distributed by Decathlon. As UOKiK explains, such product warnings result both from official inspections and from consumer reports.
In the pharmaceutical area, all three decisions on Reparil Gel N, Kidofen 125 mg and Veriflo were published by the Chief Pharmaceutical Inspector (GIF). GIF notices specify batch numbers, manufacturers and the nature of identified defects, allowing pharmacists and doctors to quickly pinpoint problematic packs. In parallel, the Chief Sanitary Inspectorate (GIS) monitors food safety, and GIS alerts on food hazards are fed into the national warning system in a similar way to GIF notices and UOKiK warnings on consumer products.
Consumers who purchased products subject to withdrawal should first contact the store (e.g. Auchan, Decathlon) or the distributor. For medicines, the recommended point of contact is the pharmacy and the attending physician, and in case of doubt – the GIF hotline or official website, where all current decisions are published.
Porady dla konsumentów
If you own any of the products described, stop using it immediately. Toys (the soft doll and the HTI Toys Stretcherz figure) must be kept away from children. Because of the asbestos risk, the stretchy figure should not be cut open or damaged – the safest approach is to place it in a sealed bag and return it to the store or distributor in line with the recall instructions. Similarly, the Decathlon training bench should be removed from use straight away to avoid potential falls during exercise.
For medicines covered by GIF decisions (Reparil Gel N, Kidofen 125 mg, Veriflo), patients should not change treatment on their own but should check the batch number on the pack. If it matches the numbers listed in the GIF communication, the medicine should be discussed with a pharmacist as soon as possible – exchange of the batch or selection of an alternative product may be necessary. If worrying symptoms occur (for example, worsening asthma, lack of pain relief, allergic reactions), immediate medical consultation is essential.
Regarding refunds, retailers must accept returns of products subject to official withdrawal even if the customer no longer has the receipt – the basis is the publicly available recall notice. This applies to sports equipment and toys alike. For food, when GIS issues alerts on food safety (e.g. salmonella, listeria, undeclared allergens), consumers are advised not to eat the product, to secure it and to contact the retailer for a refund or replacement.
Kontekst prawny
The consumer protection system in Poland rests on several pillars. In the field of medicines, the Pharmaceutical Law and administrative decisions of GIF are central: the Chief Pharmaceutical Inspector may, for specific batches, issue decisions such as “Withdrawal from the market” or “Marketing prohibition”. For toys and sports equipment, the General Product Safety Regulation and EU sectoral legislation apply, requiring manufacturers and distributors to notify hazards without delay and to carry out recall campaigns where necessary.
Food safety is overseen by the Chief Sanitary Inspectorate (GIS), which, under Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 and national rules, publishes GIS alerts on food safety – including warnings about salmonella, listeria or mislabelled allergens. UOKiK coordinates risk assessment for consumer products, and its warnings are fed into the EU Safety Gate/RAPEX system. Consumers have the right to be informed about risks, to return dangerous products and to seek compensation if they have suffered harm.
Regularly following official sources – such as GIS alerts on food safety, GIF notices on medicines and UOKiK warnings on consumer products – remains one of the most effective ways to protect your health, household budget and the safety of food and everyday products in Polish homes.