Parents Get New Warning About Toy After Kids Hospitalized

The U.S. government has issued a warning to parents about the dangers posed to their children by water beads after reports emerged of young children being hospitalized after swallowing particular products sold on Amazon.

The warning was issued on Tuesday by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and concerned two particular brands of water bead toys sold by the Chinese companies Jangostar and Tuladuo US. According to the commission, the Jangostor Large Water Beads and Tuladuo Water Bead Sets were found to have "levels of acrylamide in violation of the Federal Hazardous Substances Act." Both were found to have been sold in the U.S. through Amazon.

Acrylamide is a chemical known to form in foods during certain high-temperature cooking processes and is also used in manufacturing paper, dye, and other industrial products. Large enough amounts of acrylamide can be toxic to humans and might also be carcinogenic. According to the CPSC, these risks are particularly acute for young children.

The commission said in its warnings that it was aware of recent instances of young children being hospitalized and requiring surgery after ingesting the water bead products in question. A 1-year-old child was admitted to a hospital after consuming some Tuladuo beads, while the ingestion of Jangostar beads was blamed for two instances of 2-year-olds requiring hospitalization.

In addition to the potentially toxic levels of acrylamide in these products, the CPSC also warned that water beads, in general, can pose other dangers to children if consumed, as has become increasingly common.

"Ingested water beads can grow inside the body," the commission explained. "This can cause severe discomfort, vomiting, dehydration, intestinal blockages, or life-threatening injuries that can require surgery to remove the water beads."

The CPSC stressed that, at this time, no recalls have been officially issued for either of the products, as the companies who produce and sell them have not agreed to such terms.

"We can urge retailers not to sell these products. However, without a recall, it is not illegal to sell them," Patty Davis, press secretary for CPSC, told Newsweek. "The Commission has been working with voluntary standards groups to strengthen the requirements around expandable toys. At the same time, the Commission has voted to begin to develop a new standard, with a proposed rule this fiscal year."

Dohuan US, the Chinese company that sold Tuladuo beads on Amazon has also not responded to the commission's requests for a recall. Customers who purchased the affected products can expect to receive messages about them directly. Parents are being urged to throw away these products if they have them.

"The Tuladuo Water Bead sets were sold online at Amazon.com from March 2021 through November 2023 for between $10 and $20 by Tuladuo US," CPSC explained. "The Jangostor Large Water Bead sets were sold online at Amazon.com from March 2017 through November 2023 for about $10."

In the case of the Jangostar beads, CPSC also noted that they were sold in two sizes, "a bottle containing 11 ounces of large water beads and a bag containing 3.5 ounces of large water beads." The large beads were partially hydrated and came in a variety of colors: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, pink, and clear.

"CPSC data show that nearly 7,000 water bead-related ingestion injuries were treated in emergency departments in the U.S. from 2018 through 2022," the commission added in another statement. "CPSC is also aware of the death of a 10-month-old girl in 2023."

In a statement to Newsweek, Davis also highlighted a recall CPSC issued in September for water beads produced by Buffalo Games and sold exclusively at Target, citing "serious ingestion, choking, and obstruction hazards."

Update 3/19/24, 4:10 p.m. ET: This article was updated with information provided by CPSC.