Inspectors in Germany have found that the vanishing spray used for free-kicks is a health hazard just weeks before its planned introduction to the Bundesliga.

Germany’s technical inspection agency (TueV) said on Friday that the spray used at the World Cup in Brazil had been found to contain parabens that are suspected of being “hormonally active”. TueV’s spokesman Ralf Diekmann said: “In its present form, the product is not usable in Germany and the European Union.”

The spray, used in the Premier League and several others across Europe, is due to be introduced in the Bundesliga in mid-October, and the German Football Federation has played down fears of a delay. It said it had not been aware of the study commissioned by the country’s biggest-selling newspaper but it is looking at alternatives anyway.

“Regardless, we have been in contact already for weeks with other suppliers to find an alternative to the costly import from Argentina,” said Lutz Michael Fröhlich, the chief of the federation’s department of referees. “We are sure we are going to find a solution that will not be faulty,” Fröhlich added, pointing out that the federation referees are sponsored by another inspection agency.

TueV said the packaging for the spray neglected to mention that the substance was highly flammable. Also, none of the packaging text was in German, and it also objected to the greenhouse effect and incomplete labelling. The agency makes safety inspections of products ranging from elevators to toys.

Parabens are often used as preservatives in cosmetics.