Relax 5mm Science Kit is being recalled because it has magnets that fit within the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s small parts cylinder, and the magnets are stronger than permitted. If they are swallowed, they can attract each other or another metal object, becoming lodged in the digestive tract. This can cause perforations, twisting, or blockage of the intestines, leading to infection, blood poisoning, and death.
The regulation that mandates the strength of small magnets is a federal regulation. The seller is Shanghai Yanlei Network Technology Co. Ltd., of China, through JD E Commerce America Limited (doing business as Joybuy), of Irvine, California. The magnets were manufactured in China.
The magnet set was sold exclusively online at Walmart from February 2022 through April 2023 for between $14.00 and $15.00. About 4,240 of these sets were sold.
No injuries have been reported to date in connection with this particular product, but the Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates that about 2,400 magnet ingestions were treated in hospital emergency rooms from 2017 through 2021. And there are seven deaths involving the ingestion of hazardous magnets.
The recall is for Relax 5mm Science Kit, Large Hematite Magnets Magnetic Stones Building Blocks, that has 5 millimeter magnetic balls which are small, spherical, loose, and separable. They are neodymium rare-earth magnets with a strong magnetic flux. The recalled product is sold encased in a clear plastic case and a portable tin storage box. The set includes a black storage bag.
lf you purchased this product, stop using it immediately and take it away from children. You can contact Joybuy to receive a prepaid label to return the item for a full refund. Joybuy is notifying all known purchasers directly.
