Procter & Gamble (P&G) has issued a recall of over 8 million bags of Tide, Gain, Ace, and Ariel laundry detergent packets sold in the US and Canada due to a defect in the child-resistant packaging. The outer packaging can split open near the zipper track, posing serious risks to children and others who may ingest the detergent pods, which can cause vomiting, diarrhea, liver and kidney damage, and even death.
While there have been no confirmed injuries directly tied to the defect, P&G has received four reports of children accessing the laundry packets in the US, including three ingestion cases. The recall impacts select batches of laundry detergents manufactured between September 2023 and February 2024 and sold at major retailers.
Consumers are instructed to keep the products out of reach of children and contact P&G for a full refund and replacement child-resistant bag. The detergent itself remains safe to use for laundry purposes.
Experts urge consumers to always store detergents safely and out of reach of children.