Two major supermarkets have recalled a popular stocking filler following warnings of a "serious chemical risk". Sainsbury's and Matalan have pulled the Beeline Belly Bar, flower-themed belly-button jewellery, as it contains an "elevated value" of one particular metal. Notices issued by the two supermarkets state they contain an "elevated nickel value" that could prove dangerous when the jewellery is embedded in a piercing.
The pendant, a bar attached to a metal daisy, "presents a chemical risk", as nickel is a known "skin sensitiser" that can cause allergic reactions. The Office for Product Safety and Standards said in a statement that people may develop reactions following "prolonged contact". The statement reads: “The product presents a chemical risk as elevated levels of nickel were found.
“Nickel is a skin sensitiser and can cause allergic reactions if present in articles that come into direct and prolonged contact with the skin.” In its own statement, the UK Health and Security Agency (UKHSA) said exposure to elevated nickel can also lead to contact dermatitis and that any contact with a material that may cause it should be "ceased immediately".
The organisation warned: “Skin exposure to nickel or its compounds can lead to skin irritation and allergic contact dermatitis (an immunological reaction leading to skin sensitisation expressed as reddening/rash on the skin). Nickel contact dermatitis was often seen in individuals who wore nickel containing jewellery in the past, but stringent controls are now in place to ensure that this is no longer a significant route of exposure.
