The Recall Desk
HighCPSC·24189·Announced 2024-04-05

Procter & Gamble Recalls 8.2 Million Defective Laundry Detergent Packet Bags

Procter & Gamble is recalling about 8.2 million bags of Tide, Gain, Ace, and Ariel laundry detergent packets because the outer packaging can split open near the zipper, risking serious injury, ingestion, or skin or eye injuries—especially to 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 source explicitly states no confirmed cases directly relating to this packaging defect and no illnesses were reported. However, this recall involves a risk-of-harm product (chemical ingestion by children, potential serious injury and skin/eye damage) where the hazard is significant and directly articulated, placing it at the High level per the rubric.

Plain-English summary

Procter & Gamble is recalling certain lot codes of Tide Pods, Gain Flings, Ace Pods, and Ariel Pods liquid laundry detergent packets packaged in flexible film bags. The outer packaging is designed to prevent access to the contents but can split open near the zipper track, creating a risk of serious injury to children and other vulnerable populations if the detergent packets are ingested, as well as posing a risk of skin or eye injuries. Ingestion of a large quantity of surfactant-containing household cleaning products can cause death among individuals with underlying health issues.

The recalled products were manufactured between September 2023 and February 2024 and were sold at major retailers including Big Lots, CVS, Family Dollar, Home Depot, Sam's Club, Target, Walmart, and online at Amazon.com and other websites. Bag sizes range from 12 to 39 laundry detergent packets and include multiple scents and formulations across the four brands.

The firm has received four reports of children in the United States accessing liquid laundry packets, three of which reported ingestion during the time period the recalled lots were sold, though it is not known if these packets came from recalled bags. No confirmed cases have been confirmed directly relating to this packaging defect.

Consumers should immediately secure the recalled bags out of sight and reach of children. To participate in the recall, consumers can check their lot code at pg.com/bags (found on the bottom of the package) and contact Procter & Gamble at 833-347-5764 (Monday–Friday, 9 AM–6 PM ET; Saturday, 9 AM–5:30 PM ET) or online at pg.com/bags for a full refund and free replacement child-resistant bag, or a cabinet lock for securing laundry materials.

The recalled product

Product
Tide Pods, Gain Flings, Ace Pods and Ariel Pods liquid laundry detergent packets packaged in flexible film bags. This recall announcement applies only to bags distributed in the United States.
Manufacturer
The Procter & Gamble Company, of Cincinnati, Ohio
Category
Consumer Product — Household Cleaning Products
Hazard
  • packaging-defect
  • chemical-ingestion
  • skin-eye-injury
  • child-access
Affected units
56,741

Distribution

Distributed nationwide across the United States.

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