Popular kids' toy sold on Amazon urgently recalled over 'serious' injury risk
A popular children's toy sold on Amazon has been recalled over fears it could pose a "serious risk of injuries".
Parents have been warned not to let their kids use a specific plaything, previously available from the major online retailer. The Soppycid Reusable Water Balloons have since been removed from the website after the product recall - following fears around the safety of the items. The toy posed a safety risk because "it contains accessible magnets with a magnetic flux index that exceeds the acceptable level", according to the item's risk description. The water balloons were available to buy in a pack of six and retailed for £18.
The risk description also said: "Small, high-powered magnetic products can easily be swallowed and, when ingested, have the potential to cause serious internal injuries within the gastrointestinal tract. The product also requires improvement to marking, labelling and documentation."
The Office for Product Safety and Standards listed the recall and said the toys were sold via Fruggo. It said: "The product has been recalled from end users. The listings have been removed by the online marketplace (Fruugo)." It added that these toys did not meet the regulations of the Toys (Safety) Regulations 2011.
The toy was described as a "bag of colourful reusable water balloons, sealed with magnets" and the country of origin was said to be China.
This comes two months after Easter toys sold at Home Bargains were urgently recalled due to concerns they could cause children "to choke". The retailer urged shoppers who bought the Happy Easter plush toys to return the product to stores.
The company's website stated that the product, distributed by TJ Morris Ltd and sold in their stores, posed a "serious asphyxiation risk". This was due to the internal fibrous stuffing material - which could easily be accessed by kids because the stitching around the toy was weak.
The toys were available in three variations – a yellow chick, a pink rabbit, and a white rabbit – and were all removed from sale. The affected toys had the barcode 10811016.
Toys haven't been the only items hit with product recalls recently. Lidl was forced to pull a popular protein bar from shelves due to health fears. The Cookies & Cream Protein Bars, made by Healthy Fit, were removed from stores in Northern Ireland because they contained milk and soya.
These items, which are common allergens, were not declared in English on the label. This therefore posed a possible health risk for anyone with an allergy or intolerance to milk or milk constituents, and/or an allergy to soya.
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'ESSENTIAL' PRECAUTIONS Dr Philip Veal, consultant in public health at UKHSA, said: "Chikungunya can be a nasty disease and we're seeing a worrying increase in cases among travellers returning to the UK. "While this mosquito-borne infection is rarely fatal, it can cause severe joint and muscle pain, headaches, sensitivity to light and skin rashes. "Thankfully symptoms usually improve within a few weeks, but joint pain may last for months or longer. "It is essential to take precautions against mosquito bites when travelling. "Simple steps, such as using insect repellent, covering up your skin and sleeping under insecticide-treated bed nets can greatly reduce the risk." 18 The UKHSA has also detected the first cases of oropouche in travellers coming to the UK from Brazil. The flu-like illness can cause a fever, headaches, joint pain, muscle pain, chills, nausea and vomiting. In serious cases, it can cause brain-swelling, specifically in the form of encephalitis and meningitis. 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Outbreaks are periodically reported in Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Panama, Peru, and Trinidad and Tobago. Wear tops with long sleeves and long trousers, apply insect repellent regularly, and sleep under a mosquito net if you are not in enclosed, air-conditioned accommodation. Source: US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention 18 18 18 18
