CPSC Expands Recalls: Multiple squishy toy lines have been recalled after hazardous water beads were found inside dumpling- and bun-style toys. Water beads can expand up to 100 times their dry size and have caused roughly 7,000 ingestion-related injuries treated in U.S. emergency departments from 2018–2022. Some beads tested positive for acrylamide, a probable carcinogen; a new federal standard took effect in March 2026. Affected buyers should stop using the toys, follow disposal and refund instructions, and seek medical help if ingestion is suspected.
CPSC Expands Recall Of Squishy Toys After Hazardous Water Beads Found In Dumpling-Style Items
Squishy Toys Recalled for a Serious Choking HazardHearst Owned
The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has expanded recalls of multiple squishy toy brands after investigators found hazardous water beads inside several dumpling-style and bun-shaped products. Water beads are super-absorbent polymers that can grow dramatically after exposure to moisture, posing choking and intestinal obstruction risks to young children.
What Are Water Beads?
Water beads are tiny, soft spheres made from super-absorbent polymers. When dry they can be as small as a grain of salt, but after soaking in water they can expand up to 100 times their original size. Manufacturers market them as sensory toys for squeezing or for filling bowls used in tactile play.
Why They're Dangerous
"If a water bead is ingested, it can pose ingestion, choking, and intestinal obstruction hazards inside a child's body, resulting in severe discomfort, vomiting, dehydration and a risk of death to a child." — CPSC
Because dry beads are tiny and hard to spot, a child may swallow one without a caregiver noticing. Once inside the body, the bead can absorb fluids and expand, creating a choking hazard or a bowel obstruction that may require surgery. From 2018 through 2022, U.S. emergency departments treated about 7,000 water-bead ingestion injuries, according to the CPSC. Investigators have also found some beads that tested positive for acrylamide, a probable carcinogen and a violation of the Federal Hazardous Substances Act when present in consumer products for children.
Recent Recalls
Several brands and product lines have been recalled. If you own any squishy toy that contains water beads, stop using it immediately and follow the manufacturer’s disposal/refund instructions.
- ABC Trading — Squishy Dumpling Toys and Crazy Squib Ball Toys: About 37,000 items sold between April and June (year reported by the recall). Two products are affected: a dumpling-shaped squishy filled with glitter and water beads, and a ball-shaped squishy with water beads. ABC Trading is offering refunds. The company asks buyers to mark the toy with the word "RECALLED" in permanent marker, discard the toy, and email a photo of the disposed item to [email protected] to request a refund.
- LLK Trading — Mochi Malrang Mystery Dumpling Toys: Translucent red, dumpling-shaped toys sold at Easy Wholesale in San Jose, CA, in July 2026. LLK Trading requests that consumers write "RECALLED" on both the dumpling and its tan bamboo container, dispose of the items, and email a photo of the discarded products to [email protected] to claim a refund.
- Toyworld168 — Rainbow Mystery Squishy Bun Toys: Green, dumpling-style squishies with water beads packaged in a tan container labeled "Rainbow Mystery" and "Sugar Edition," sold nationwide between June 2026 and July 2026. Toyworld168 asks buyers to write "RECALLED" on the toy and its container, discard the items, and email a photo of the discarded pieces to [email protected] for a refund.
What Parents and Caregivers Should Do
- Stop using any squishy toy that contains water beads immediately and keep it away from children and pets.
- Follow the manufacturer refund/disposal instructions precisely (mark the item "RECALLED," discard it, and email the required photo to the address provided).
- If you suspect a child has swallowed a water bead or is choking, seek emergency medical care right away. For non-emergencies involving ingestion, contact Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 in the U.S. or your local poison control center.
- Check toys sold to you or given as gifts for small beads or unmarked contents; when in doubt, remove the item from the home.
Regulatory Context
A federal safety standard for water beads went into effect in March 2026. The rule limits how large beads can grow after absorbing water and sets material and labeling requirements. Products that fail to meet the new standard are subject to enforcement actions and recalls.
Because many dumpling- and bun-shaped squishies look similar, it's often difficult to visually distinguish recalled items from other bead-filled toys. If any toy in your home contains water beads, the safest course is to assume it could be hazardous to young children and remove it from the household.
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