NEW YORK — The Consumer Product Safety Commission is warning people to immediately dispose of a magnetic toy because it poses a serious ingestion risk to children.
CPSC has posted a warning On Thursday, “Magnetic Chess Games” sold by China-based seller JOMO contain magnets that do not comply with US federal safety regulations. As a result, the “loose, dangerous magnets pose a risk of serious injury or death,” according to the warning.
The CPSC said it issued a notice of violation to JOMO, but that the company has not agreed to recall its magnetic chess sets or provide a remedy. The commission urged people to stop using the game and throw it away immediately.
The games were sold online at walmart.com in a blue box with the word “Magnetic” on the front and back, according to the CPSC. They include about 20 loose black magnets but not checkerboard pieces, despite the marketing.
It is unclear when or how long these games were sold. A CPSC spokesperson said the commission could not provide additional information because JOMO is not cooperating.
A Walmart spokesperson said the health and safety of customers is the company’s top priority and that it began working to remove the games soon after the CPSC warning was issued Thursday.
Experts have long noted serious health risks linked to swallowing magnets, with children particularly vulnerable. When powerful magnets are ingested, the CPSC noted, they can attract each other or another metal object in the body and become stuck in the digestive system — which can lead to blockage, infection, blood poisoning or death.
Overall, the CPSC estimates a total of 2,400 magnet ingestions were treated in hospitals annually between 2017 and 2021. The commission said it is aware of eight related deaths from 2005 to 2021, two of which were outside the U.S.