Balloon blowing kits recalled over banned solvent hazard

Health Canada announced recalls on Oct. 26 of two brands of children’s balloon blowing kits, one sold on SHEIN Canada and the other on Amazon.ca, because they contain a solvent mixture that is banned in such products in Canada.

The recalled kits are Magic Balloon balloon blowing kits, sold on the SHEIN Canada website in packs of one, five, 10 and 30 pieces between June and October 2026, and the Plastic Balloons balloon blowing kit, sold on Amazon.ca in packs of 12 tubes with plastic straws between August and October 2026. According to the recall notices, the companies reported eight units of the Magic Balloon kits and 17 units of the Plastic Balloons kit sold in Canada.

The notices say blowing the balloons exposes children to solvent vapours. Inhaling them over a prolonged period can cause dizziness, euphoria, hallucinations and difficulty with coordination. More serious effects include muscle twitching, unconsciousness and coma. Neither company reported any incidents or injuries in Canada, the notices said, as of Oct. 21 for SHEIN and Oct. 19 for the Amazon.ca product.

Health Canada’s recall notices tell consumers to stop using the products immediately and to dispose of them according to municipal hazardous waste guidelines. Under the Canada Consumer Product Safety Act, the recalled kits cannot be resold, redistributed or given away.

The Magic Balloon kits were imported by SHEIN Canada of Toronto and made in China. Customers can contact SHEIN Canada at 1-888-971-5568, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. PT Monday to Friday, or at [email protected]. The company’s recall list is at ca.shein.com/product-recalls/list. The recall number is RA-82847, according to the Government of Canada recall notice.

The Plastic Balloons kit was imported by Solutions Exfal Inc., which does business as Chics-Chocs Distribution, of Mont-Royal, Que., and made in Taiwan. Customers can reach the company at 1-514-229-2108, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET Monday to Friday, or at [email protected]. The product’s Amazon.ca listing number is B0BV8B1HD3 and the recall number is RA-82853, according to the Government of Canada recall notice.

The notices do not list a model number or UPC for either product.

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