Consumers who purchased a McDonald's Happy Meal with a Hello Kitty-themed whistle for their kids must be well-aware of the most recent announcement made regarding the potential hazards of the product. According to reports, McDonald's has just recently recalled its Happy Meal toy due to choking risks.
The Associated Press reported that the three-inch-tall whistle called "Hello Kitty Birthday Lollipop" presents risks to children as it can be detached and be inhaled by them.
The report said that around 2.5 million of this toy was manufactured by the company. However, majority of these have not yet been distributed to stores.
NBC News said that around 2.3 million of these whistles were supposed to be distributed in the United States while the remaining 200,000 were supposed to be sent to Canada.
At least 1.6 million of the toy has already been recovered to date, AP said.
The Hello Kitty toys were included in the Happy Meals and Mighty Kids Meals in the U.S. and Canada in October and November, the report added.
All kids and parents who received the toy are encouraged to go to the nearest McDonald's store where they can return it. NBC News said kids will either get a replacement toy, a yogurt, or a bag of apple slices.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission on Twitter warned parents about this issue, saying "Did your child get a Hello Kitty themed whistle @McDonalds? #Choking and aspiration risks: https://1.usa.gov/1xDDWKH #recall."
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said on its website that the "Hello Kitty Birthday Lollipop" Whistles pose hazards to children since it has "components [inside of the whistle] that can detach, posing choking and aspiration hazards to young children."
"The recalled whistles are red and were included in a plastic Hello Kitty figurine holding a pink heart-shaped lollipop. The whistle can be removed and used to make sounds by inhaling or exhaling through the mouthpiece," it added.
"When closed, the figurine measures about 3 inches in height and width and 1 3/4 inches in depth. The whistle measures about 1 3/4 inches in height and width and 3/4 inches in depth. A picture of Hello Kitty appears on both sides of the whistle," it noted.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said the recall stemmed from reports that at least two incidents of children coughing out pieces of the whistle. One child even received medical attention for the incident.
Meanwhile, CPSC Chairman Elliot Kaye told the Daily Finance that they have worked "fast" with McDonald's to issue the recall.
"By reporting as fast as they did, CPSC and McDonald's were able to work together to get the word out to parents, grandparents and other caregivers to help prevent any other incidents or serious injuries...We urge all parents and other caregivers who believe they might have received one of these Hello Kitty whistles from McDonald's to act on this recall immediately," Kaye was quoted as saying.
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