(BERLIN) - Thousands of "smelly" Euro 2008 promotional backpacks made in China and given out by a petrol retailer in Germany, Austria and Switzerland were recalled Thursday after customer complaints.

The German unit of Shell oil said it was recalling hundreds of thousands of the backpacks -- decked out in the national colours of Germany, Austria and Switzerland -- awarded to customers in those countries who filled up their cars four times at a Shell service station, a Shell spokeswoman said.

"The company decided to conduct the recall after some customers complained about the smell of the product and tests showed that some of the backpacks contained substances that surpassed the legal limit," she said.

The company quoted the press spokesman for the Health and Consumer Protection Authority in the northern city of Hamburg as saying the rucksacks could produce an allergic skin reaction in some cases but were otherwise not dangerous.

Shell said about 400,000 backpacks, which were manufactured in China, had already been given away.

Customers can return their bags in exchange for points on a Shell station club card or a new promotional gift: a Shell Audi Le Mans cap.

Consumer advocates said the recall pointed to a fundamental problem with cheap, imported goods.

Monika Buening of the Federation of German Consumer Organisations told the Berlin daily Der Tagesspiegel that only a fraction of foreign goods arriving at German ports from abroad were inspected by authorities.

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