By RNZ

Online storefront Temu says it hasn’t been able to verify whether magnets consumed by a 13-year-old boy which resulted in major surgery were sold on its storefront.

Neodymium magnets have been banned since 2014 but are still available through some online marketplaces.

A case study in the New Zealand Medical Journal (NZMJ) said surgeons at Tauranga Hospital had to remove part of the boy’s bowel after he ate between 80 and 100 of the small but powerful magnets.

The report by NZMJ claimed the magnets were purchased from Temu.

In an initial statement from Temu, a spokesperson said it had launched an internal review after hearing about the case from media.

“We are sorry to learn about the reported incident and wish the boy a full and speedy recovery,” they said at the time.

“We take product safety very seriously and continuously monitor our platform to ensure sellers are complying with the safety regulations of the markets they are doing business in.”

In a new statement to RNZ this week, Temu distanced itself from the case.

“Following the report, we contacted the New Zealand Medical Journal to learn more about the case. According to the editors, the 13-year-old teenager reported that the magnets were purchased from Temu, but we have not been able to independently verify this,” the Temu spokesperson said.

“As a precaution, we reviewed the photo of the magnets published in the Journal and checked listings of similar products on our platform.

“The magnets currently available are compliant with New Zealand regulations, and such products are also sold through other major online and physical retailers.

“While these products are lawful to sell, they can be dangerous if swallowed and we support efforts to raise public awareness about magnet safety.”

The spokesperson noted that Temu required its sellers to comply with applicable laws and safety standards and would remove non-compliant listings.

University of Auckland law professor Alex Sims said the prevalence of online listings for neodymium magnets highlighted a gap in the law.

She pointed to a number of listings on various online marketplaces for similar high-powered magnets being marketed as toys.

-RNZ