Walmart recalls magnetic balls amid safety concerns
Photo: Walmart issues recall for magnetic balls amid safety concerns (GettyImages)
Walmart has issued a magnetic ball toy kit recall following warnings from the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) about the risks of choking, internal injury, and even death associated with the product. The recall involves approximately 4,240 units of the "Relax 5mm Science Kit, Large Hematite Magnets Magnetic Stones Building Blocks," sold through Joybuy on Walmart's website, according to CNN.
The CPSC's warning highlighted the dangers posed by these high-powered magnets, which are small enough to be swallowed and strong enough to cause severe internal harm.
If ingested, these magnets can lead to severe medical emergencies, including intestinal perforations, twisting, blockage, infection, blood poisoning, and in extreme cases, death.
The toy kits, sold between February 2022 and April 2023, contained small magnetic balls in various colours and were priced between $14 and $15. Consumers who purchased the product are advised to immediately remove it from children's reach and contact Joybuy for a full refund.
Magnet toy recall
The background of this recall stems from a broader concern about the safety of magnetic toys.
Between 2017 and 2021, there were an estimated 2,500 emergency room visits and seven deaths (two of which occurred outside the US) due to magnet ingestions.
These incidents and the CPSC's ongoing efforts to address the hazards associated with such products led to the current recall, underscoring the importance of stringent safety standards and consumer awareness in the toy industry.
Also, we recently wrote that American Honda Motor Co. announced a recall of nearly 4.5 million vehicles worldwide, including about 2.6 million cars in the United States.
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