The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has issued a recall of high-powered magnetic balls from Xpressgoods.com of Raleigh, NC, noting that the product could cause serious injury or death or death if ingested.

The agency also issued warnings for similar magnetic-ball toy sets from other companies, though those companies have not agreed to recall the products or offer consumers a remedy. None of the magnetic-ball sellers were ASI listed; however, several promotional products suppliers offer items similar to the ones being recalled or warned against, billing the toy sets as sensory tools, stress relievers and the “best gift toy” for children.

The CPSC and Xpressgoods.com have issued a recall of high-powered magnetic balls because of the risk of serious injury or death if ingested.

Testing determined that the “Colorful Metal Neodymium Magic Magnetic Balls” from Xpressgoods.com don’t comply with the requirements of the mandatory federal toy regulation because the magnets fit within the CPSC’s small parts cylinder (which simulates the width of a child’s throat) and the magnets are stronger than permitted. When high-powered magnets are swallowed, the ingested magnets can attract each other, or another metal object, and become lodged in the digestive system, which can result in perforations, twisting and/or blockage of the intestines, infection, blood poisoning and death.

The CPSC estimates that 2,400 magnet ingestions were treated in hospital emergency departments from 2017 through 2021, and the agency is aware of seven deaths involving the ingestion of hazardous magnets.

Xpressgoods.com sold about 728 of the magnet sets on its website from July 2021 through May 2022 for about $30 each. The 5mm neodymium magnetic balls are small, spherical, loose and separable rare-earth magnets with a strong magnetic flux. The multi-colored magnetic balls were sold in sets in a clear, plastic case and a tin storage box.

Consumers can contact Xpressgoods.com via email at support@xpressgoods.com or visit its product recalls page for details on receiving a refund.

The CPSC issued warnings to consumers to immediately stop using a number of other high-powered magnetic-ball sets for failure to meet federal safety standards. Many of the sets in question were being sold exclusively on online shopping platform Temu: Allvre 216-Piece 5mm Magnetic Ball Sets, Sunny House 125-Piece 5mm Mixed Color Magnetic Ball Sets, Ming Tai Trade 216-Piece 5mm Magnetic Ball Sets, and Magic QQ 216-Piece Mixed Color Magnetic Ball Sets. The agency also warned against magnetic balls sold via myKmarket.com.

Reusable water balloons, called SplishSplash Balls, that use the powerful magnets to seal the rim of the balloons also received a product warning from the CPSC.