McDonald’s Toy Recall Targets Hello Kitty Toys for Choking Hazard
According to a statement by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) Monday, the largest restaurant chain in the world, McDonald’s Corp., has issued a recall of 2.5 million Hello Kitty lollipop whistles that it has been giving away in Happy Meals and Mighty Kids Meals at restaurants in the U.S. and Canada, because parts of the toy could become detached and create a choking hazard for young children.
The toy whistles that are subject to the recall are red and were part of a 3-inch-high plastic Hello Kitty character with a pink heart-shaped lollipop. The whistle measures about 1 3/4 inches in height and can be removed and made to make sounds by exhaling or inhaling through it.
The decision to recall the toys comes after the company received two reports in which children coughed up small pieces of the whistle. One of the children in question required medical attention.
This isn’t the first time McDonald’s has had to recall something it sold. Back in 2010, the company gave $3 refunds to all customers who purchased “Shrek” promotional drinking glasses because they had been tainted with cadmium. Back in 2001, they had to recall about 250,000 “Scooter Bug” Happy Meal toys for roughly the same reason; parts could become detached and create a choking hazard. IN that case, as with this one, reports of two choking incidents led to that recall. There were two other similar incidents in 1992 with Back to the Future car toys and in 1982, when they had to recall 10 million Playmobil toys. Those recalls were also for choking hazards.
Consumers who have these toys are being asked to take the Hello Kitty whistles away from their child and return them to any McDonalds for a replacement toy and either apple slices or a yogurt tube. They are continuing to work with the CPSC and Health Canada on the recall.
If you have one of these Happy Meal Toys, follow the recall and either throw them away or take them back to McDonalds. If your child has been injured by a defective toy, please contact the Texas Defective Product Injury Lawyer at Hill Law Firm immediately, so that we can investigate the situation and protect your rights.