Procter & Gamble has recalled 8.2 million potentially defective bags of laundry pods, the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission announced Friday, for the severe risk the packaging could pose to children and vulnerable populations.
The callback has affected four brands: Tide, Gain, Ace and Ariel. Up until this time, these particular brands have sold detergent in thin, flexible, film bags that can easily be split, the CPSC states in its report. There has been an issue with some outer packaging splitting near the zipper track, Procter & Gamble says, that would make the contents more accessible to children.
If a laundry pod, or even part of one were to be ingested, it could cause significant injury and even death, Poison Control reports.
According to the CPSC, there are no known injuries directly linked to this particular defect and these specific recalled bags, though there have been reports of children ingesting liquid laundry packets within this time frame.
This year alone, Poison Centers in the United States have managed 1,423 cases related to laundry detergent packet exposure for children five and under, according to the National Poison Data System.
List of affected products
The following laundry detergent products manufactured between September 2023 and February 2024 have been affected by the recall:
- Ace Pods Clean Breeze
- Ace Pods Spring Meadow
- Ariel Pods Alpine Breeze
- Gain Flings Blissful Breeze Scent
- Gain Flings Moonlight Breeze Scent
- Gain Flings Original
- Gain Flings Plus Odor Defense
- Gain Flings Plus Ultra Oxi
- Gain Flings Spring Daydream Scent
- Tide Pods Clean Breeze Scent
- Tide Pods Free & Gentle
- Tide Pods Light
- Tide Pods Original
- Tide Pods Oxi
- Tide Pods Spring Meadow Scent
- Tide Pods Ultra Oxi
- Tide Simply Pods Plus Oxi Boost
How to check if you have a recalled product
If you believe you have a recalled product, immediately ensure it is out of reach of children. You can pursue a full refund by contacting the manufacturer, Procter & Gamble.
Along with the amount of purchase, consumers will receive a child resistant bag to store the products in and a cabinet lock for securing any laundry materials, according to Procter & Gamble.
To confirm you have a recalled product in your possession, check the lot code located at the bottom of your laundry detergent bag to see if it matches any listed at pg.com/bags.
Consumers with recalled bags will then submit a photo of their purchased product, clearing showing the lot code to receive their full refund.
Stores that sold the recalled products include Big Lots, CVS, Family Dollar, Home Depot, Sam’s Club, Target and Walmart. The products were also sold online on Amazon as well as other websites.
Consumers with questions on the recall can contact Procter & Gamble toll-free at 833-347-5764 Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. ET to 6 p.m. ET and Saturday from 9 a.m. ET to 5:30 p.m. ET, the company states.
About 56,741 of the recalled products were sold in Canada, where a recall has also been issued.
