A Canadian company is recalling 248,000 insulated lunch boxes because chemicals could leak from damaged freezer gel packs, according to a U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission safety alert.
California Innovations Inc. of Toronto said on its website that the gel packs contain diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol, which can be poisonous if ingested.
The company has received two reports of dogs chewing and ingesting the leaked gel from the lunch box. One dog died and the second was treated and recovered.
The recalled lunch boxes, made of vinyl and polyester nylon are Ci Sport three-piece, expandable, insulated lunch box sets, which include the lunch box, an aluminum bottle and the freezer gel pack. The recalled lunch box sets have the code “1-61731-99-57” printed on one of two white labels sewn under the white fastener inside the main compartment. The lunch box was available in four colors: navy blue, red, black and denim blue.
The gel pack is a 6-inch by 4-inch transparent plastic pouch filled with blue liquid gel. The words “Cryofreeze” and “Ice Pack/Hot Pack” are printed in white letters on the front.
The lunch boxes, which were made in China, were sold by Costco Wholesale Club, Leon Korol and Cost U Less stores between May 2007 and September 2008.
Consumers should immediately stop using the gel packs and dispose of them according to federal, state and/or local regulations, the CPSC advised, adding that consumers should contact their local waste disposal authority for instructions.
The lunch box set can be returned to Costco for a full refund, or a $5 cash refund is available for the gel pack only by contacting California Innovations.
For more information call California Innovations at 800-722-2545 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, e-mail ci-recall@ca-innovations.com or visit the firm’s website at www.californiainnovations.com