Consumer Safety Agency Warns Public to Immediately Dispose of Game, Manufacturer Refuses to Issue Recall
The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has issued a warning regarding a magnetic chess game sold by China-based seller JOMO, identifying it as a potential ingestion hazard for children due to non-compliance with U.S. safety regulations. The CPSC advises consumers to immediately stop using the game and to discard it, as the game contains loose magnets that can cause serious injury or even death if ingested. These magnets can attract each other or other metallic objects in the body, leading to severe medical complications.
Despite the CPSC’s violation notice to JOMO, the company has not agreed to recall the product or offer a solution. The chess games were marketed under a blue box bearing the word “Magnetic” and included about 20 loose black magnets without any chess pieces, contrary to their description. While the exact period of sale is unclear, the CPSC has noted a concerning trend in magnet ingestions, with approximately 2,400 incidents treated annually in U.S. hospitals between 2017 and 2021 and a record of eight related deaths from 2005 to 2021. The commission emphasizes the heightened risk for children when it comes to swallowing magnets, underscoring the potential health hazards associated with such products.
The Consumer Product and Safety Commission is warning people to immediately dispose of a magnetic game because it poses serious ingestion risks for children.
The CPSC posted a warning Thursday that “Magnetic Chess Games” sold by China-based seller JOMO contain magnets that do not comply with U.S. federal safety regulations. As a result, the “loose, hazardous magnets pose a risk of serious injury or death,” according to the warning.
The CPSC said it issued a violation notice to JOMO, but that the company has not agreed to recall its Magnetic Chess Games 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 chess-shaped pieces, despite its marketing.
It is unclear when or how long these games were sold. A CPSC spokesperson said the commission could not provide further information since JOMO is not cooperating.
Experts have long noted the serious health hazards tied to swallowing magnets, with children particularly at risk. When high-powered magnets are ingested, the CPSC noted, they can attract each other or another metal object in the body and become lodged in the digestive system — potentially resulting in blockage, infection, blood poisoning or death.
Overall, the CPSC estimates that 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 through 2021, two of which were outside the U.S.
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