Magnetic balls sold at Walmart were recalled Thursday by the Consumer Product Safety Commission, which cited serious health concerns with the product.
The Relax 5mm Science Kit, Large Hematite Magnets Magnetic Stones Building Blocks, sold through Joybuy, features dozens of small multicolored balls with high-powered magnets. Commission regulators say the balls are small enough to choke children and magnetically cause further damage.
The balls fit inside the commission’s small parts cylinder, which simulates the inside of a child’s throat and is used to tell if something is a choking hazard. Regulators say that if the magnets are swallowed, they can attract to each other inside the small intestine, causing twisting, infection, and even death.
The toys were sold at Walmart starting in early 2022. The commission says the recall will affect about 4,240 units and that customers should contact Joybuy to return their product for a refund.
The commission estimates that over 26,000 cases of magnet ingestion were treated in U.S. emergency rooms from 2010 through 2021.