The Recall Desk
Our severity:CriticalCPSC·00046·Announced 1999-12-27

Burger King Recalls Pokemon Balls Due to Suffocation Hazard

Burger King is recalling Pokemon Balls distributed in kids meals because the plastic halves can cover a child's face, posing a suffocation risk to children under three.

What this means for you

Our assessment, not the agency’s: severity 5/5 (Critical).

Highest-severity recall. The hazard can cause serious injury or death. Stop using the product now and follow the agency's instructions.

Our severity reasoning: The source text explicitly reports a death (a 13-month-old girl suffocated), which mandates a Critical severity score of 5 according to the rubric.

Plain-English summary

Burger King Corporation is voluntarily recalling Pokemon Balls, which are plastic ball-shaped containers between 2 and 3 inches in diameter. These balls were distributed in Burger King Kids Club Meals and regular kids meals from early November through December 1999. The balls contain one of 57 different Pokemon toys and were available in colors including red and white, and hot pink.

The recall is due to a suffocation hazard for children under three years of age. Either half of the Pokemon ball can become stuck on a child's face, covering the nose and mouth. A 13-month-old girl reportedly suffocated when one-half of a Pokemon ball covered her nose and mouth. Additionally, an 18-month-old girl reportedly had a ball-half stuck over her face, causing distress, though her father successfully removed it.

Consumers should immediately take the balls away from children under the age of three. They should discard the ball or return both halves to a Burger King restaurant for a free small order of french fries. Consumers may continue to use the Pokemon toy that came inside the ball. Burger King will no longer include the Pokemon balls with toys in regular kids club meals intended for younger children.

The recalled product

Product
Pokemon Balls
Category
Consumer Product — Toys
Hazard
Affected units
25

Distribution

Distributed nationwide across the United States.

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