Amazon and Walmart urgently removed the toys from shelves! The United States will completely ban the sale of such toys!

According to foreign media reports, e-commerce platforms such as Amazon, Walmart and Target recently announced that they would ban third-party sellers from selling "crystal babies" for children. This decision was made after US regulators, lawmakers and safety advocates strongly urged retailers to remove water beads from their shelves, as well as evidence of the increasing fatal risks of such products.

An Amazon spokesperson said: "Due to safety concerns, Amazon will no longer allow sellers to sell water beads that are marketed for children, including toys, art supplies, or sensory games." The spokesperson added: "We work hard to ensure that the products offered in our store are safe, and we have a dedicated team to develop and update policies, evaluate product listings, and monitor the Amazon market to prevent unsafe and non-compliant products from being listed."

According to Amazon, third-party sellers must comply with the new policy and remove the products from their shelves by December 22. Amazon also noted that the popular water bead brand Orbeez will now be banned from sale, and that it prohibits sellers from selling water beads as ammunition for "gel guns" to children.

Walmart said it would ban the sale of all water bead toys and craft kits aimed at children under 9, both online and in stores.

After Amazon and Walmart issued statements, Target also announced that it would ban the sale of such toys. A Target spokesperson said that due to safety concerns, Target will no longer sell water beads for children 12 and under. She added that Target will begin removing these products from store shelves and online websites next week.

Other e-commerce platforms, such as Etsy and AliExpress, have also announced that they have banned sellers from selling water beads. It can be seen that major e-commerce platforms are responding to the calls of lawmakers and safety advocates to remove such products from their shelves.

It is learned that the "crystal bags" are small beads made of highly absorbent polymer materials. After being soaked in water for five or six hours, they can "grow" a hundred times. According to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), if children accidentally swallow, put them in their ears or noses, or inhale them, they may quickly grow to a life-threatening size in the body. Because X-rays cannot show their fine structure, it is very difficult for doctors to diagnose them.

According to CPSC data, there were approximately 7,800 emergency medical visits related to water beads in the United States from 2016 to 2022. In addition, a recent investigation from the CPSC showed that some water beads contain potential carcinogens and neurotoxins.

In September this year, a "Crystal Baby" was recalled for causing the death of an infant. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission posted a new warning about such products on its website, saying that the water beads may cause severe discomfort, vomiting, dehydration, intestinal blockage and life-threatening injuries, and may require surgery to remove.

In October, American parents filed a class-action lawsuit against the Orbeez brand for false advertising and deceptive business practices, intensifying public and government skepticism about water drop products.

In November, New Jersey Congressman Frank Pallone Jr. introduced a new bill to the House of Representatives that would ban retailers from selling Crystal Babies to children. Currently, the bill has received support from some lawmakers.

Editor ✎ Nicole/

Disclaimer: This article is copyrighted and may not be reproduced without permission.