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2.4 million more dangerous toys recalled Print Email

March 18th, 2008

Federal safety regulators recalled an additional 2.4 million potentially deadly Mega Brands magnetic toys Monday, at least 14 months after learning there might be problems with some of those products.

In December 2006, a consumer complained to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission that magnets could come loose from Mega Brands Magna-Man action figures, one of the toys recalled, according to government records. And last May a Tribune report, which featured an account of a magnet popping out of one of those action figures, questioned whether the company's earlier Magnetix recalls covered all of the potentially hazardous toys in the line.

When the tiny, powerful magnets come loose and are swallowed, they can connect inside a child and rip through intestines.

Mega Brands had sent some of the toys recalled Monday to consumers as presumably safe replacements for Magnetix building sets recalled as a deadly hazard in 2006 and 2007.

Monday's recall comes as Mega Brands is beginning to phase out its Magnetix line and the industry is moving closer to a more stringent safety standard for magnetic toys. The guidelines being considered would not allow manufacturers to sell toys with magnetic parts small enough for a child to swallow. They also would require tougher tests for the remaining toys with powerful magnets.

In all, with Monday's action, more than 10 million Mega Brands products have been recalled for magnet hazards over the past two years. More than 12 million other toys with the tiny magnets also have been recalled.

Toys included in recall

The toys recalled Monday were 1.3 million Magna-Man action figures and 1.1 million preschool toys called Magnetix Jr. and Magtastik. In all, there were 44 reports of magnets coming loose from these toys.

The CPSC cited one injury and a close call with the preschool toys. A 3-year-old boy playing with the toys had to have a magnet removed from his nasal cavity, while an 18-month-old boy was caught with a magnet in his mouth before he had a chance to swallow it.