Washington, DC – Today, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) released public warnings, directing consumers to stop using Tuladuo Water Bead Sets and Jangostor Large Water Beads. The beads contain levels of acrylamide in violation of the Federal Hazardous Substances Act. Tuladuo US and Jangostor, both based in China, sold the water beads sets on Amazon. Both companies have not agreed to an acceptable recall. The CPSC warning further states that Tuladou US has not responded to CPSC’s request for a recall. Beyond underlining the serious risks water beads pose to children, the warning further illustrates some challenges consumers face in an increasingly online world.

Water beads are super-absorbent polymer chemical spheres sometimes marketed as toys or for “sensory” play. Unfortunately, children have been known to ingest water beads, which have led to multiple life-threatening obstructions and even death. Despite “non-toxic” labels, recent research demonstrates that water beads can be toxic due to bead-to-bead inconsistencies. In 2023, CPSC announced that evidence demonstrated acrylamide toxicity in some water bead products. In December 2023, Amazon and other retailers announced a commitment to stop selling water beads.

“Disappointingly, water bead products are still easily accessible on the online platform,” said Courtney Griffin, Director of Consumer Product Safety. “Today’s report underlines many of the serious challenges CPSC faces in its mission to protect consumers, especially when third-party sellers ignore CPSC outreach or disappear. In this case, the companies have failed to respond to CPSC’s requests for recalls, placing consumers at risk.”

Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-N.J.) introduced legislation to ban water beads marketed for children last year. Representative Robin Kelly (D-Ill) and Representative Britney Pettersen (D-Colo.) co-sponsored the legislation.  The Ban Water Beads Act would direct the CPSC to enforce such a ban. The New Jersey Assembly Consumer Affairs Committee also advanced legislation last year that prohibit the sale of water beads in New Jersey.  In September 2023, Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) called on the CPSC to remove water beads from the market, especially water beads sold as toys for children.