Made-in-China Massage Balls Sold in Target Recalled Due to Burn Hazard

The Consumer and Product Safety Commission issued a recall for Chinese-manufactured Vivitar Hot/Cold Massage Balls on April 4, 2019. (CPSC)CPSC

About 60,000 massage balls manufactured in China are being recalled after they were identified as a burn hazard.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) said the Vivitar hot/cold massage balls can leak or rupture while being microwaved or even afterwards, and thus pose a burn hazard for consumers who use them. A recall was issued for the massage balls on April 4.

Although the front packaging of the Vivitar product claims that the product is freezer safe and microwave safe, Vivitar of Edison, N.J., has received 84 reports of massage balls bursting during microwaving, including 17 reports of burns to various parts of the body, according to the CPSC. The balls were being sold exclusively at Target stores nationwide from December 2018 through February 2019 for about five dollars.

The CPSC is warning consumers to immediately stop using the recalled message balls and return them to any Target store for a full refund.

Vivitar Hot/Cold Massage Balls were recalled by the Consumer Product Safety Commission on April 4, 2019. CPSC

The following products are being recalled:

• Model number F19-MB-TL, date code MID# 1940918, UPC 681066474037
• Model number F19-MB-LP, date code MID# 1940918, UPC 681066305645
• Model number F19-MB-LV, date code MID# 1940918, UPC 681066182475

The name "Vivitar", model number, date code, and UPC can be found on the bottom of the Vivitar Hot/Cold Massage Balls packaging. CPSC

The name “Vivitar,” as well as the model number, date code, and UPC can be found on the bottom of the product packaging, and the date code can also be found on the smooth ball.

The back of the packaging also warns, “The instructions and advice presented are in no way intended as a substitute for medical counsel. Consult your physician before starting this or any other exercise program. Not all exercises are suitable for everyone. Any use of this product assumes the risk of injury performing any of the suggested exercise [sic]. For these reasons, this product is being sold without warranties or gurantees [sic] of any kind.”

The recall was conducted voluntarily by the company under the CPSC’s Fast Track Recall process.

Other Recent Recalls

The CSPC announced on April 11 the recall of Specialized Bicycle Components, Inc., (SBC) bicycles with steerer tube collars due to fall and injury hazards. About 63,000 bicycles are affected by the recall.

A bicycle’s steerer tube collar can crack if exposed to corrosion, resulting in the sudden loss of steering control that poses a fall and injury hazard to the rider. According to the CPSC report, SBC received two reports involving the steerer tube collar cracking, although no injuries have yet to be reported.

About 63,000 Specialized Bicycle Components bicycles are being recalled, one of which is the Black Ruby Elite bicycle pictured here. The CPSC issued the recall on April 11, 2019. CPSC

While the recall was made on April 11, the recall was previously announced independently on Jan. 9 by the firm due to the government furlough.

CPSC recommends that consumers stop using the bicycles immediately and contact an Authorized Specialized Retailer for a free repair of the steerer tube collar.

About 63,000 of the bicycles were sold from July 2016 through January 2019 for between $1,650 and $11,500 at authorized retailers nationwide.

The recall includes select Specialized Roubaix, Ruby, Diverge and Sirrus bicycles equipped with a Future Shock from the 2017 through 2019 model years. The bikes come in a variety of colors and include S-works, Pro, Expert, Comp, Elite, E5 Comp, Sport and Base models. An S-works or Specialized decal can be found on the downtube.