In Wake of Second Death, CPSC and Burger King Again Urge Consumers to Destroy and Discard Pokemon Balls
Kids’ product recall 00-058. Announced by CPSC on Jan 27, 2000.
Watch and the shortlist are kept with a free account, on every device. Your watch list. CPSC’s own notice is on cpsc.gov.
The short answer
Announced by CPSC on Jan 27, 2000. Copied from CPSC on Oct 19, 2026.
Every line below is in CPSC’s own words, with its source beside it.
What’s wrong with it?
The balls pose a suffocation hazard to children under three years of age.
CPSC, Recalls API. Checked Oct 19, 2026. Updated daily.
What should you do?
Consumers should immediately take the balls away from children under the age of three. They should discard the ball or return both halves of the ball and the clip to a Burger King restaurant for a free order of small fries. Children can continue to use the Pokémon toy that came inside the ball.
CPSC, Recalls API. Checked Oct 19, 2026. Updated daily.
- How to reach the firm: Burger King’s Consumer Relations phone number is 305-378-3535, which operates Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. east coast time.
Which ones are recalled?
Pokémon balls are plastic, ball-shaped containers between 2.75 and 3 inches in diameter. They pull apart to reveal one of 57 different Pokémon toys inside. The balls were distributed in a variety of colors including red and white, and hot pink. Packaging described them as safety tested and recommended for all ages of children.
More than 25 million units, as CPSC gives them.
Pokémon balls distributed with Burger King kids meals.
CPSC, Recalls API. Checked Oct 19, 2026. Updated daily.
CPSC’s photos
CPSC shows 1 photo on its notice. Hearth Record doesn’t copy them; each opens on cpsc.gov.
Who made and sold it?
- Distributed by Burger King Corporation.
- Burger King restaurants nationwide distributed the Pokémon balls inside Burger King big kids meals and regular kids meals from early November through December 1999.
CPSC, Recalls API. Checked Oct 19, 2026. Updated daily.
Was anyone hurt?
On January 25, 2000, a 4-month-old boy in Indianapolis, Ind., reportedly suffocated when one-half of a Pokémon ball that was in his crib became stuck on his face. In December, a 13-month-old girl reportedly suffocated when one-half of a Pokémon ball covered her nose and mouth. Also in December, an 18-month-old girl nearly suffocated when a ball-half got stuck over her face. On the second attempt, the girl’s father was able to pull the ball-half from her face.
CPSC, Recalls API. Checked Oct 19, 2026. Updated daily.
What the record doesn’t say
- The notice lists no UPCs, so check the model, the description and the photos.
- The notice lists no model numbers in a field of their own; its description may give them.
- How many have been returned or fixed isn’t in the notice.
Hearth Record wrote these lines.
Sources
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U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Recalls API.
Checked Oct 19, 2026. Updated daily. Public domain (U.S. Government work). CPSC asks to be credited, and that no endorsement be implied.
Recalls of kids’ and home products are from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). CPSC does not endorse Hearth Record. Copied on Oct 19, 2026.