10 September 2023 , 12:00
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A mass recall of over 85,000 highchairs has been announced in the US and Canada after multiple customers complained of injuries to their children.
According to an August 31 recall posted on the Consumer Product Safety Commission's website, the Japanese toy company said that they voluntarily recalled its Boon Flair and Flair Elite highchairs.
A total of 11 injuries have been recorded, with the chairs mainly bruising and scratching young children. An additional 24 falls and 34 incidents of loose bolts have now been recorded at this stage.
The bolts securing the seats to the chairs are coming loose meaning the seat detaches from the entire structure causing infants to fall. Some 83,000 affected models were sold in the US while a further 2,850 are in Canada, according to the U.S.
Consumer Product Safety Commission. TOMY said: “There is no need for consumers to return the highchair. Consumers should stop using Boon Flair highchairs immediately and contact TOMY for a free repair. Consumers will receive a set of bolts and split and flat washers to repair the highchair.
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TOMY International Inc. recalled about 83,000 of its Boon Flair and Flair Elite Highchairs (AP)“We want to ensure that your child has only the safest products we can offer and will work to remedy this situation promptly - with your child's safety in mind.”
Company officials and regulators added that consumers should stop using any recalled highchairs and contact TOMY for the free repair kit, which includes a set of bolts and split and flat washers.
The list of affected model numbers is available on TOMY's website. Parents or guardians can find the model number and manufacturing date code of their highchair on a label underneath the base of the chair.
Flair Elite highchairs have a white and orange plastic seat, a white tray and a metal pedestal base. Flair highchairs have a gray plastic pedestal base and were sold in 10 color combinations.
The highchairs were sold at Bed Bath & Beyond, Target, Toys ‘R’ Us, and other stores nationwide, and online at Amazon.com, Target.com, Walmart.com, and BedBathAndBeyond.com. The Flair Elite was sold from 2008 to 2009 for about $380. The Flair models were sold from January 2008 through February 2021, for between $230 and $250.
Customers can check the model numbers on the chairs to determine whether they were part of the recall.
This news comes after the FDA reported that Sunrise Growers Inc. issued a voluntary recall in June of specific frozen fruit products linked to pineapple provided by a third-party supplier. This was due to the potential for these products to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.
Listeria monocytogenes is an organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems.
Although healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women. They said that: “Any consumers concerned about an illness should contact a physician.”