Tiny magnetic balls sold exclusively at Walmart are reported as being recalled for causing illnesses and even death in some consumers as they do not comply with safety regulations.
The seemingly innocent “Relax” magnetic balls, marketed as building blocks and stress relievers, have been linked to a horrifying toll of seven deaths and numerous hospitalizations.
The recall, issued by the Consumer Product Safety Commission, comes after the revelation that these small but powerful magnets, sold exclusively online at Walmart, have wreaked havoc on unsuspecting consumers.
Sold in sets of 216 multicolored balls measuring 5mm each, these spheres were available at Walmart from February 2022 to April 2023, priced at a mere $14 to $15.
The recall notice exposed over 4,200 units that are affected, and the safety commission estimates a staggering 2,400 cases of magnet ingestion treated in hospital emergency departments between 2017 and 2021.
The alarming notice reveals the recalled magnetic ball sets, manufactured in China and distributed by Joybuy, fail to comply with federal magnet regulations.
These regulations restrict the strength and size of magnets, aiming to prevent accidents. The Safety Commission points out these magnets surpass the allowed strength and dimensions, making them a severe hazard.
The grim consequences of ingesting these magnetic balls are detailed in the notice, describing the magnets as so high-powered that they can attract to each other or other metal objects, leading to dangerous complications in the digestive system.
The Commission said: “[The] magnetic ball sets do not comply with the requirements of the mandatory federal magnet regulation because the sets contain one or more magnets that fit within CPSC’s small parts cylinder and the magnets are stronger than permitted.”
The potential outcomes include perforations, twisting, blockage of the intestines, infection, blood poisoning, and, most shockingly, death.
The commission said it “estimates 2,400 magnet ingestions were treated in hospital emergency departments from 2017 through 2021.” It knows of “seven deaths involving the ingestion of hazardous magnets, including two outside of the United States.”
With the recall now in effect, consumers are urged to check their purchases and cease using these magnetic balls immediately.
