A consumer group based in California, Good Guide, is alleging that one of the Zhu Zhu pet hamsters has a high level of a chemical called antimony, which the group claims can lead to cancer, reproductive health, and other health hazards. The group says that the Zhu Zhu pet had 93 parts per million of antimony in the fur, and 103 parts in the nose, while the federal limit is 60 parts per million. Cepia, LLC, the manufacturer for Zhu Zhu Pets released a statement saying its hamsters are “absolutely safe and has passed the most rigorous testing in the toy industry for consumer health and safety.”
Good Guide partners with companies to rate social, environmental, and health impacts of products. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has said it will review the toy hamsters “swiftly” to see if there are excessive levels of antimony in the products. The St. Louis Business Journal recently reported that Zhu Zhu Pets are on track to make $300 million in sales.
