Procter & Gamble has issued a recall of 8.2 million bags of laundry pods due to a potential safety risk for children and vulnerable populations. The bags, containing popular brands like Tide, Gain, Ace, and Ariel, have packaging that can easily split, making the detergent pods accessible to children. Ingesting these pods could result in significant injury or even death, according to Poison Control reports.
Although there have been no reported injuries linked to this specific defect, there have been cases of children ingesting liquid laundry packets within the same time frame. The National Poison Data System in the United States has dealt with 1,423 cases related to laundry detergent exposure for children under the age of five this year alone. The affected products were manufactured between September 2023 and February 2024 and were sold in various stores and online platforms like Big Lots, CVS, Walmart, and Amazon.
Consumers who believe they have a recalled product are advised to keep it out of reach of children, contact Procter & Gamble for a full refund, and check the lot code on the packaging to confirm if it is part of the recall. Procter & Gamble is also providing child-resistant bags and cabinet locks to ensure safe storage of laundry materials. The recall has also extended to Canada, where a similar issue has been identified, prompting Health Canada to issue a recall notice as well.
