P&G recalls detergent pods over child-resistant packaging flaw, warns of serious risks if ingested—years after fighting the ‘Tide Pod Challenge’

According to Friday notices from both P&G and product-safety regulators in the U.S. and Canada, the outer packaging meant to prevent easy access to the liquid laundry detergent pods can split open near the zipper track, posing serious risks to children and others who may ingest them, in addition to possible skin or eye injuries.

So far, there have been no confirmed injuries directly tied to the defect. During the time period that the recalled lots were sold, there were four reports of children accessing the laundry packets in the U.S., including three ingestion cases — but whether these pods actually came from the recalled bags is still unknown, P&G and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said.

The recall impacts select batches of Tide, Gain, Ace and Ariel laundry detergents that were manufactured between September 2023 and February 2024 and sold at major retailers including Walmart, Target, CVS and Amazon.

The recalled products, which can be identified by lot code, vary in scent and size. About 8.2 million were sold in the U.S. and more than 56,700 were sold in Canada.

Consumers in possession of the now-recalled bags are instructed to keep the products out of the reach and sight of children and contact Cincinnati-based P&G for a full refund and replacement child-resistant bag to store the detergent, which itself remains safe to use for laundry purposes.

Health risks tied to the ingestion of liquid laundry detergent has been well-documented — notably in light of the social media-fueled “Tide Pod challenge” that skyrocketed several years ago. Eating the detergents’ chemicals can cause vomiting, diarrhea, liver and kidney damage, and even death.

Beyond online trends, experts warn that children are especially vulnerable to accidentally ingesting liquid laundry packets, as they may confuse the products with candy — urging consumers to always store them safely.