If you bought a black studded belt at British online retailer ASOS earlier this year -- you may want to think twice before wearing it.
In January, ASOS recalled the product because it contained radioactive materials -- but only now has the news come out. The UK-based high street online retailer, which launched in the United States in 2010 to massive success, recalled the studded peplum style after the design tested positive for radioactive isotope Cobalt-60 (which has been known to cause cancer) while proceeding through U.S. Customs. (The style is no longer viewable on the company's Website.)
While approximately 600 belts had been produced, only 49 inventory items had been purchased at the time of the recall (across 14 countries worldwide). Because ASOS is an online retailer, the brand was able to contact the belt’s purchasers through information logged in its customer history database.
While U.S. Customs did discover radioactive levels, they were measured at incredibly low resolve, making ASOS’s recall a voluntary one. The Guardian reports that the belt could be potentially harmful to those who wear the belt for more than 500 hours. A representative for ASOS did not wish to comment on the likelihood or origin of that statistic, but hinted that the item’s subpar production could be due metal manufacturing practices abroad.
The spokesperson issued the following statement to The Daily Beast on ASOS’s behalf: “A product supplied to ASOS did not meet UK health and safety standards. ASOS worked with all relevant authorities and undertook a precautionary product recall, in line with our high standards of quality and customer care. No other ASOS product lines are affected. ASOS continues to work with the relevant regulatory authorities and is in dialogue with the supplier and the factory workers involved to ensure a satisfactory outcome."
