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Melting air fryers, blinds with choking hazard: Here are the recalls in Canada this week

Health Canada issued recalls for various items this week including Insignia air fryers, wall chargers, and window blinds. (Handout) Health Canada issued recalls for various items this week including Insignia air fryers, wall chargers, and window blinds. (Handout)
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Health Canada issued recalls for various items this week including Insignia air fryers, wall chargers, and window blinds. Here’s some items Canadians should watch out for.

Window blinds

Health Canada issued a recall Tuesday for various window blinds — more than 85,000 of which were sold in Canada — due to strangulation hazards for children.

The health department said the shades by Elite Window Fashions include: All Roller, High-Lite, Sheer Horizontal and Roman blinds sold with ChainGuards and P-Clips.

The shades are available in several colours and sizes.

The blinds do not meet Canada’s Corded Window Coverings regulations, the recall said.

Young children may pull looped cords around their necks or get tangled up, which can cause strangulation or death. Small parts of the blinds can pose a choking hazard.

In Canada, the company sold the blinds from July 2022 to March 2024.

Fortunately, no incidents or injuries related to the blinds have been reported as of March 5.

Health Canada urges customers to stop using the blinds and contact the company for replacement parts.

Unauthorized health products

Health Canada issued an alert Wednesday after seizing more unauthorized health products from an online retailer due to serious health risks.

The online retailer, “UU Zone,” based in Markham, Ont., sold various products labelled to contain prescribed, controlled or over-the-counter drugs.

The items include eye drops and cold medication.

These items are in addition to a previous alert issued for the same retailer in October 2023. To see the full list, visit Health Canada’s website.

The health department warned selling unauthorized health products in Canada is illegal.

“They could contain high-risk ingredients, such as prescription drugs, additives or contaminants that may or may not be listed on the label,” the recall said.

Health Canada advised consumers not to use these products.

Wall chargers

Health Canada issued a recall Wednesday for various Starmaker USB wall chargers due to electric shock and fire hazards.

The items include a home charger USB-A and USB-C combo and a USB-A wall charger with Universal Product Codes 691455604208 and 678362602080.

The company said nearly 16,000 chargers have been sold in Canada between January 2023 and February 2024.

The company has received no reports of injuries or incidents in Canada as of Feb. 29.

Health Canada advised anyone who has purchased the charger to contact the company for disposal and a refund.

Air fryers

Health Canada issued more recalls Thursday for Insignia air fryers and ovens, citing risks of overheated units, broken or melted handles, and broken glass.

The health department said the products -- nearly 100,000 units sold in Canada -- include Insignia’s digital, analog, and oven air fryers with cooking chamber spaces ranging from 3.4 to 10 quarts and plastic and/or stainless steel bodies.

A rating label on the underside of each unit identifies the brand and model number listed on the recall notice.

According to the recall, the air fryers may overheat, and their handles may melt or break, posing a potential burn or fire hazard. Air fryer oven units may also overheat, and glass on doors may break.

As of Feb. 20, the company said there have been six incidents involving the air fryer handles melting or breaking, and one report of the glass breaking on the air fryer oven in Canada.

No injuries have been reported.

The company said the air fryers were sold from September 2021 to November 2023.

In the U.S., six incidents of air fryers catching on fire and 24 reports of overheating, melting, or glass shattering were reported.

This comes after Insignia air fryers were recalled in 2022 for a similar burn and fire hazard.

In a previous recall, the company said 41 incidents were reported, including four reports of minor injuries in Canada.

Health Canada said customers should stop using the air fryers, register for the recall, or contact Best Buy Canada.

Mushrooms

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) issued a recall Friday for K-Fresh Enoki mushrooms due to possible listeria monocytogenes contamination.

The 200-gram bags of mushrooms can be identified by the Universal Product Code 4892742010234.

The food inspection agency said a customer complaint triggered the recall, but that there have been no reports of illness associated with the mushrooms.

Food contaminated with this type of bacteria may not look or smell spoiled but can still make you sick, the CFIA warned.

Symptoms can include vomiting, fever, muscle aches, severe headaches and neck stiffness.

The CFIA said customers should check if they have the mushrooms and throw them out.

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