Clothing retailer C&A has recalled 20,000 leather baby shoes from the shelves in 18 countries due to a presence of chromium (VI) that could cause allergies.

There were 92 of these shoes sold in Croatia, out of which 86 have already been returned.

The chemical analysis showed that the product contains chromium VI most likely developed through oxidization of chromium III salts.

According to the company’s spokesperson Thorsten Rofles, the product had passed strict controls before it was released for sale, leading the manufacturer to believe that the problem occurred after its release, the daily Jutarnji List writes.