What is actually in a balloon? Latex, nitrosamines and the label

Because the European standard requires it: some people are allergic to latex. That is why every package must state that the balloons are made of natural rubber latex, next to a warning that children under 8 can choke on uninflated or burst balloons.

How common latex allergy is varies from study to study. Estimates for the general population range from about 1 to 4 per cent.^{1Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Natural rubber latex allergy among health care workers: a systematic review of the evidence, 20062Journal of Occupational Health, Current prevalence rate of latex allergy: Why it remains a problem?, 2016} At a birthday party at home, you usually know who is coming. At an open day, a shop opening or a corporate event you do not, and a balloon arch at the entrance reaches everyone who walks in.

Not always. In several European countries, regulators and consumer organisations find balloons that release too many nitrosamines. These substances can form when rubber is vulcanised with certain accelerators. They are considered carcinogenic, and children can take them in by sucking on a balloon. The problem is avoidable: many manufacturers choose other accelerators and get it right.^{3Stiftung Warentest, Krebserregende Stoffe in Luftballons, 22 December 2025}

The picture is similar across Europe. In the Netherlands, 25 of the 58 balloons in an NVWA inspection did not meet the requirements.^{4NVWA, Investigation safety requirements balloons 2018, 2019} In Austria, the consumer organisation VKI found four balloons above the European limit.^{5Vienna.at, Krebserregende Stoffe in Kinder-Luftballons entdeckt, 11 February 2020} In the United Kingdom, Which? found excessive levels in 8 of the 21 balloons it tested at the end of 2025, most of them bought through online marketplaces.^{6Which?, Dangerous balloons found for sale on online marketplaces, 9 December 2025} And in Germany, inspections in 2023 and 2024 found that 87 per cent of the balloons from shops complied, against 32 per cent of the balloons bought online.^{3Stiftung Warentest, Krebserregende Stoffe in Luftballons, 22 December 2025}

To be fair, a lot has improved since the European rules of 2013. In the Netherlands, 39 per cent of the balloons tested in 2002 stayed below the limit for nitrosamines, and in 2018 it was 76 per cent.^{4NVWA, Investigation safety requirements balloons 2018, 2019}

Where you buy, the label and the material. Buy from a seller you can hold accountable, and check the packaging. Consumer organisations also advise inflating balloons with a pump, not with your mouth.^{3Stiftung Warentest, Krebserregende Stoffe in Luftballons, 22 December 20256Which?, Dangerous balloons found for sale on online marketplaces, 9 December 2025}

Europe is also tightening the rules. From 1 August 2030, a new Toy Safety Regulation applies throughout the EU, with a digital product passport and extra obligations for online marketplaces. The limits for balloons stay the same.^{7European Union, Regulation (EU) 2025/2509 on the safety of toys, 12 December 2025}

Our reusable balls are made of PVC, so they contain no latex. The SGS test report shows that the PVC is phthalate-free. You inflate them with a pump, and because you use them again and again, you do not buy a new bag of balloons for every event.