High-powered magnets pose a risk of serious injury or death if ingested; CR urges the manufacturer to recall this product immediately
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Consumer Reports (CR) urges consumers to stop using and dispose of the Iraza 512 Piece Magnetic Stone 5mm Magnetic Ball Sets DIY Creative Magnetic Beads and for the company Guanjia Trading Co. to recall this product immediately. Testing by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) found that this product violates the mandatory federal safety standard for high-powered magnets that went into effect on October 21, 2022. CR has long supported a mandatory standard for magnets, given the safety hazards they pose to children and teenagers.
Guanjia Trading Co. sold around 700 magnet sets from October 2022 through April 2023. According to the CPSC, the Magnetic Ball Sets were sold online at www.walmart.com for about $30. When high-powered magnets are swallowed, they can connect to each other or other metal objects across tissue and cause serious injuries. The magnets can become lodged in the digestive system, posing a risk of perforations, infection, blood poisoning, and death, especially for children.
“Over the years, children have died, and thousands more have gone to the hospital for ingesting high-powered magnet products,” said Gabe Knight, Safety Policy Advocate for Consumer Reports. “It was dangerous for Guanjia Trading Co. to sell this product and for Walmart to have allowed it to be sold on their platform—especially after the new mandatory safety standard went into effect. Manufacturers and retailers have a duty to follow the law, and failing to do so needlessly puts consumers at risk of injury and death.”
“It is deeply concerning that these magnets could remain for sale for months without the listing being noticed and taken down,” said Oriene Shin, Policy Counsel for Consumer Reports. “Online marketplaces like Walmart must do all they can to make sure the products sold on their platforms won’t harm people—and in this case, Walmart has let its customers down. We urge the company to put stronger checks in place going forward to make sure something like this doesn’t happen again.”
Media Contact: Emily Akpan, emily.akpan@consumer.org