On 1 July 2025, the ‘Technical Specifications for the Safety of Pet Products’, jointly issued by the State Administration for Market Regulation and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, officially came into force. For the first time, rubber teething toys and latex chew toys for pets have been included in the list of products subject to mandatory testing, thereby addressing the long-standing lack of unified national standards for the regulation of rubber pet products. The new regulations explicitly stipulate that the release of N-nitrosamines from rubber toys must not exceed 10 μg/kg and that the total content of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons must not exceed 20 mg/kg. They also strictly control the migration of heavy metals and the residual protein content in rubber, thereby eliminating at source the practice of using substandard recycled rubber to manufacture pet toys.
According to annual random inspection data from the National Quality Inspection Centre for Pet Products, one year after the new regulations came into force, the overall compliance rate for rubber pet toys sold via e-commerce platforms and in physical pet shops rose from 89.3 per cent in 2024 to 96.1 per cent, with the batch compliance rate for leading brands approaching 99.5 per cent. Market regulation authorities in many regions have simultaneously carried out specialised spot checks, focusing on cracking down on unlabelled rubber toys and low-priced, substandard rubber chew sticks. Law enforcement officers explained that previously, a large number of rubber toys priced at 9.9 yuan with free delivery were made from waste recycled rubber; prolonged chewing by pets could easily lead to swollen gums and gastrointestinal poisoning.
Many pet brands have proactively upgraded their production lines, replacing standard rubber with food-grade natural latex. Pet owners’ consumption habits have shifted accordingly, with over 70 per cent of consumers prioritising quality inspection reports when purchasing rubber toys. Industry experts indicate that the implementation of mandatory national standards will accelerate industry consolidation, weeding out unlicensed small workshops and driving the pet rubber toy sector towards greater safety and functionality.
