Millions of Toy Sets Recalled as Nationwide Warning Issued

Over 20 million "Miniverse" toy miniature model sets have been recalled due to the presence of a potentially dangerous ingredient.

In a recall notice shared to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) website on Tuesday, California-based MGA Entertainment warns owners of "Miniverse Make It Mini Sets" to "immediately stop using" the products due to a high amount of the chemical compounds "acrylates" found in resins included in the kits.

The company said that it had "received 26 reports of incidents with this product from children and adults, including reports of skin burns and irritation, and respiratory irritation, with one report that a consumer's asthma was triggered."

Miniverse sets include components required to assemble miniature toy versions of household appliances, food and other items. MGA Entertainment said that the acrylates are present in amounts that are illegal for children's products under the Federal Hazardous Substances Act when included resins are in their liquid form.

The recalled sets, which were manufactured in China, were sold nationally online and in stores from October 2022 to June 2024, costing from $7 to $52, depending on the set. They were stocked by major retailers including but not limited to Amazon, Walmart and Target.

The affected sets include "Make It Mini Appliances," "Make It Mini Food" and "Make It Mini Lifestyle." While most of the recalled products have a food-related theme, those with themes like "movie theater," "bird feeders" and "Halloween" were also recalled.

A full list of more than three dozen recalled sets, alongside their associated item numbers and UPC codes, is included in the recall notice.

"MGA Entertainment has a longstanding commitment to delivering high quality, safe products. In this particular instance, less than .00013% of the 21 million units sold in the U.S. since MGA's Miniverse Make It Mini lines launched about 18 months ago have led to reported incidents of irritation, all of which have been temporary," the company said in a statement emailed to Newsweek on Tuesday.

"Nonetheless, MGA is taking all necessary precautions to rectify this situation, which includes not only voluntarily recalling, but also reformulating the liquid resin for all products launching in the next few weeks and throughout the year globally," the statement continues.

Customers were urged to return the products as soon as possible and receive a "full refund or replacement product" of their choice. A recall form is available online on the MGA Entertainment website. The company can also be contacted over the phone at 800-222-4685 from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET Monday to Friday and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, or via email at mvcustomer_care@mgae.com.

"Consumers should immediately stop using any units with unused resins and contact MGA to receive a pre-paid label to return either: (a) the entire product, including the unused resin, if the product has not been opened, or (b) the unused resins and a photograph of the product if the product has been opened," the notice states.

The recall includes approximately 21 million Miniverse sets sold in the U.S. and another 1 million sets sold in Canada. While the resins may be hazardous in liquid form, MGA Entertainment said that the sets present no risk when the resins were cured and hardened.

Isaac Larian, MGA Entertainment's CEO, estimated in comments to CNN that only from 10 percent to 15 percent of the sets still had liquid resin included due to the products having been on the market for an extended period.

Update 06/25/24, 11:24 p.m. ET: This article has been updated to include a statement from MGA Entertainment.