Which?’s laboratory testing declared several putties to be slimes, a claim that the manufacturers are refuting. 

A Which? report which surfaced overnight has accused several putty and slime manufacturers of supplying products containing unsafe levels of boron.

Boron is found in borax, a common ingredient in slime that helps to create its stickiness. The EU safety limit is 300mg/kg for slime and 1200mg/kg for putty.

Two of the products tested by Which?, Frootiputti from Keycraft, and Ghostbuster Slime from H. Grossman, both failed Which?’s own laboratory tests, with boron levels of 1,200 and 950 respectively.

However, both companies have stated that their products are putties, not slime, and therefore are well within the safe limits for the element.

To back up its position, H. Grossman commissioned two independent laboratories to analyse the batch mentioned by Which?. The resulting reports confirm that this product is technically a putty and that the levels of all elements are well within safety standards. The reports are also available to any interested parties on request to H. Grossman, and were also supplied to Which? before it published the story.

A spokesperson for H. Grossman commented: “It is regrettable that a consumer magazine has made an entirely untrue allegation without producing scientific support.”

Smyths, one of the retailers that offers the putty, added: “Children’s safety is our first priority. Ghostbuster Slime was supplied to us by the UK distributor H. Grossman, which has provided us with test results from independent accredited laboratories. These indicate that the product is technically a putty, and that it is well within all safety standards. Consumers have a right to be fully informed and to see that the highest safety standards are followed. The only solid information we have is the reports from reputable laboratories, which indicate that such standards are being met. We understand that H. Grossman will make these reports available upon request.”