European Toy Safety Standard EN 71-20:2025

Key Milestones for Standard Publication and Implementation

Publication: On 17 December 2025, CEN officially published EN 71 Part 20 — EN 71-20:2025, a toy safety standard focusing on microbial cleanliness and preservation efficacy of toys, aiming to reduce potential microbiology-related hazards of toys.

Implementation:

It shall become a national standard in EU member states by 30 June 2026 at the latest.

National standards conflicting with this standard in EU member states shall be withdrawn by 30 June 2027 at the latest.

Positioning: It is expected to become a harmonized standard under the EU Toy Safety Directive/Regulation, but its publication date in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) is yet to be determined.

Core Definition of EN 71-20:2025

Standard Title

Toy Safety — Part 20: Microbiological Safety of Toys Containing Accessible Aqueous Media

Scope

Toys that are received by the consumer in an unopened and undamaged container, and that are, contain or are supplied with accessible aqueous materials (pastes, putties, finger paints, liquids, gels, etc.).

Exclusions

• Materials that are not accessible during normal use or reasonably foreseeable abuse;

• Foodstuffs, ordinary cosmetics (excluding toy-specific play cosmetics such as doll cosmetics);

• Toy components covered by EN 71-13 and falling within the scope of the Cosmetics Regulation;

• Experimental sets covered by EN 71-4.

Core Technical Requirements of the Standard

1. Microbial Cleanliness Requirements

Requirements include Total Aerobic Microbial Count (TAMC) and limits for bile-tolerant Gram-negative bacteria, graded according to toy user groups, with strict prohibitions on specified microorganisms:

Specified Microorganisms Requirements: PSEudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella spp., Candida albicans shall not be present in 1 ml or 1 g of sample.

2. Preservation Performance Requirements

Inoculum Requirements

A calibrated inoculum with a maximum volume fraction of 1% shall be added to achieve a test bacteria concentration of 1×10 to 1×10⁶ CFU/ml (g) and a specified yeast/mould concentration of 1×10 to 1×10⁶ CFU/ml (g) in the sample.

The inoculum shall include at least: Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Aspergillus brasiliensis, Candida albicans.

Test Result Requirements

No growth of bacteria, yeasts or moulds shall occur in accessible aqueous media at three time points: 7 days, 14 days and 28 days.

Recommendations

EN 71-20:2025 is expected to become an EU harmonized standard. Enterprises manufacturing toys containing aqueous media for sale in the EU shall monitor this standard in a timely manner to ensure products comply with microbiological requirements and avoid losses due to non-compliance.

JJR LAB is currently fully capable of performing all tests under this standard.