All sizes of the affected clothing have been recalled.

Breathing air containing high levels of cadmium can cause a metallic taste in the mouth, shortness of breath, chest pain, coughing and flu-like symptoms.

Some symptoms may not appear until several hours after exposure.

In severe cases, exposure can also lead to lung damage, extensive fluid loss, multiple organ failure and death.

Swallowing cadmium can irritate the digestive tract, causing nausea and diarrhoea.

Ingesting large amounts may also affect metabolism, cause swelling of the face and lead to a build-up of fluid in the lungs.

Cadmium may also cause skin irritation through contact.

Long-term exposure to cadmium may damage the kidneys and bones and may also cause cancer.

It comes just weeks after a brand of squishy dumpling toys was also recalled.

UK consumer magazine Which? said the toys were being made by a wide range of manufacturers and tests had revealed some contained hazardous chemicals.

One brand in the UK – Squeezy Dumplings sold by Samsons Cash and Carry Ltd – was recalled by the Office of Product Safety and Standards, the national regulator of consumer products.

The authority said the toys had excess benzene in their outer layers.

“Exposure to large amounts may cause a burning feeling throughout the digestive tract and skin irritation,” the authority said.

There is no product recall alert for the toys on New Zealand’s Product Safety site, and no evidence to suggest the toys in New Zealand contain the same chemicals as the products recalled in the UK.