Expandable Lunch Boxes Recalled Due to Freezer Gel Pack Ingestion Hazard
California Innovations is recalling expandable lunch boxes because the freezer gel packs contain chemicals that pose a poisoning hazard if ingested.
What this means for you
Highest-severity recall. Risk of serious injury or death is documented or strongly suspected. Stop using the product now and follow the agency's instructions.
Our severity reasoning: The source text explicitly states that one dog reportedly died from ingestion of the gel, which meets the rubric criterion for a score of 5 (known fatalities).
Plain-English summary
California Innovations Inc. is recalling approximately 248,000 Ci Sport three-piece, expandable, insulated lunch box sets. The recall is due to a hazard where the freezer gel packs, which contain diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol, can leak if damaged. If ingested by children or adults, the gel poses a poisoning hazard.
The firm has received two reports of dogs chewing and ingesting the gel from the packs. One dog reportedly died from the ingestion, while the other received treatment and recovered. The recalled lunch boxes were sold at Costco Wholesale Clubs, Leon Korol, and Cost U Less stores between May 2007 and September 2008 for about $10. The sets include a lunch box, an aluminum bottle, and a freezer gel pack.
Consumers should immediately stop using the gel packs and dispose of them according to federal, state, and/or local regulations. It is recommended to contact local waste disposal authorities for instructions. Consumers may return the lunch box set to Costco for a full refund or contact California Innovations for a $5 cash refund for the gel pack only.
The recalled product
- Product
- Expandable Insulated Lunch Box with Freezer Gel Pack
- Manufacturer
- California Innovations Inc., of Toronto, Canada
- Category
- Consumer Product — Lunch Boxes
- Affected units
- 248,000
Distribution
Distributed nationwide across the United States.
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