Share and Follow
A PRODUCT sold at Target and Walmart has been recalled after posing a magnetic ingestion risk to children.
The recall on a scent diffuser has affected over 850,000 units sold in the United States.
The Pura 4 Smart Home Fragrance Diffusers with detachable covers were recalled this week after a magnet flaw.
Magnets inside of the cover can come off, leading to a potential ingestion hazard to children, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.
“When high-powered magnets are swallowed, the ingested magnets can attract each other, or other metal objects, and become lodged in the digestive system,” the agency wrote in the recall.
Ingestion of the magnets can lead to a plethora of health issues, up to and including death.
Other ailments include perforations, twisting or blocking of the intestines, infection, and blood poisoning.
“Like any small object, the magnetic spheres can be a choking hazard if swallowed. Once in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, these strong magnets can stick together, often trapping GI tissue between them and cutting off the blood supply to the area. This can lead to tissue death and life-threatening GI perforations,” Poison Control said of magnet ingestion.
“Surgery is frequently needed to remove the magnets and repair the damage they caused.”Â
No injuries have been reported so far.
Users can receive a replacement cover by checking if their item was affected on the company’s website.
Pura did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
What model is the recall for?
Five magnets are inside of the device.
“Consumers should immediately dispose of the existing detachable cover while waiting for the replacement cover, keep the diffusers out of the reach of children and pets, and contact Pura Scents to receive a free replacement front cover,” the recall wrote.
“Pura Scents is contacting all known purchasers directly.”
The diffuser was sold on the company’s website, Pura.com, alongside Amazon, Target, and Scheels.
Three reports were made of magnets falling off.
“Out of an abundance of caution, we are proactively and voluntarily replacing the affected covers out of our ongoing commitment to your well-being and peace of mind,” Pura wrote on its website.
Pura 4 recall
The recalled scent diffuser has the following specs:
Price: about $50
Sold: August 2023 through May 2025
Serial numbers:
- JX230000001 to JX230801425
- JX240000001 to JX240049959
In addition to over 850,000 sold in the U.S., 1,100 were sold in Canada as well.
Recent Nationwide Recalls
Other products sold nationwide have been recalled in recent weeks that could prove dangerous to users.
Earlier this month, a bicycle model sold at Walmart was recalled after banned levels of lead were found on the bike’s pumps.
The SPPTTY kids bikes, 14 and 18 inches, found were found to “exceed the federal lead content ban, posing a lead poisoning hazard to children.”
“Consumers should stop using the recalled children’s bicycles immediately and contact Shenzhen Yihuachuang Technology for a full refund,” the recall read.
Deodorant, Jeep SUVs, and water bottles are just some of the other products recalled this month.