The Recall Desk
HighCPSC·02030·Announced 2001-10-31

Sassy Inc. Recalls Soft Rattles Due to Choking Hazard

Sassy Inc. is recalling about 455,000 soft rattles because sewn-on eyes can detach and pose a choking hazard to small children.

What this means for you

Real risk of harm even if no illness or injury has been reported yet. Stop using the product and follow the agency's guidance.

Our severity reasoning: The recall involves a choking hazard to small children with 129 reports of detached eyes and one incident requiring the Heimlich maneuver, fitting the High severity criteria for risk-of-harm products where serious injury or death has not been reported.

Plain-English summary

Sassy Inc. of Northbrook, Ill., is recalling approximately 455,000 soft rattles sold at toy and mass merchandise stores nationwide from August 1999 through mid-October 2001. The recalled products include the "Lily Pad Rattle," "Bitty Kitty Rattle," "This Little Piggy Rattle," "Goo Goo Goldfish," "Smoochie Poochie Rattle," and "Crinkly Crown Dragon Rattle." These items were sold for about $5 and feature a caretag reading "Sassy" and "1999 Made in China." Rattles with the same appearance but embroidered eyes are not involved in this recall.

The sewn-on spherical-shaped fabric eyes on the rattles can detach, posing a choking hazard to small children. Sassy has received 129 reports of eyes detaching from the rattles, including incidents where eyes were found in children's mouths. In one reported incident, a child started to choke on a detached eye, and a parent used the Heimlich maneuver to remove it.

Consumers should immediately take these toys away from young children and return them to Sassy to receive a free replacement toy. Consumers may call Sassy at (800) 323-6336 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. CT Monday through Friday for information on how to receive the replacement.

The recalled product

Product
Soft Rattles
Manufacturer
Sassy Inc., of Northbrook, Ill.
Category
Consumer Product — Toys
Hazard
Affected units
455,000

Distribution

Distributed nationwide across the United States.

Related recalls

Same hazard · choking

See all →