Thousands of Products Recalled From Various Retailers This Month: IKEA, Giant Tiger, Bissell, Costco

An IKEA store in Costa Mesa, Calif., on Feb. 19, 2021. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

Health Canada has issued recalls for thousands of products from big brands and retailers this month, including Costco, Bissell, IKEA, Giant Tiger, and Decathlon, due to various safety concerns.

Giant Tiger

One recall affects Giant Tiger sleepwear brands (monkey bars, Bella & Birdie, Mountain Ridge, and Survival Gear), men’s sherpa robes, men’s ski pants, and Pajar ski pants, due to “microbial hazard.” The products may contain mold, and consumers are asked to stop using their products and return them to Giant Tiger for a refund.

As of Dec. 21, 2022, Health Canada stated the company has not received any reports of incident or injury due to the recall.

The Pajar ski pants were sold from August to November 2022, while the sleepwear and robes were sold between October and November 2022. The ski pants were sold in December 2022.

The sleepwear and men’s ski pants are a product of Bangladesh, while the robes and Pajar ski pants were manufactured in China.

Giant Tiger said in its recall notices, “As our customer health and safety is our number one priority, we have been working closely with our vendor and Health Canada on this matter.”

Bissell Wet Dry Vacuum

Bissell’s Cordless multi-surface wet dry vacuum was recalled on Jan. 12, due to a fire hazard. Customers who purchased the product are asked to contact Bissell for a free battery pack replacement, as the circuit board inside the vacuum’s battery pack can reportedly overheat and smoke.

As of Dec. 20, 2022, the company had received six consumer reports in Canada of a burning smell or smoke related to the product. South of the border in the U.S., the company was notified that three batteries caught fire, with one injury.

Outside Canada, Bissell has received 55 reports of a burning smell or smoke.

Kirkland Pasta

The in-house Costco brand, Kirkland, issued a recall as of Jan. 16, on its four cheese and spinach manicotti marinara due to pieces of metal contaminating the food product. The recall impacts products with best-before dates from Dec. 27, 2022, up to and including Jan. 16 of this year.

IKEA

At the furniture giant Ikea, 15 sizes and varieties of the Lettan mirror have been recalled due to an injury hazard. Over 17, 500 units of the affected product were sold from February 2020 to October 2022 in Canada.

Customers are advised to return their mirror to Ikea for a refund, with no receipt required. Alternatively, customers can order replacement wall fittings at no charge.

“IKEA has identified that some of the plastic fittings, attaching the mirror to the wall, appear to be breaking, which could lead to the mirrors falling, posing an injury hazard,” stated Health Canada’s recall.

As of Jan. 10, 2023, the company had not received reports of any injuries in Canada. Globally, the company has received 55 incidents of mirrors falling due to what appear to be breaking wall fittings. Minor property damage and one minor injury have been reported.

Decathlon Canada

Decathlon Canada has recalled swimming goggles sold from May 4, 2018, to Nov. 15, 2022, that do not meet Canadian regulations for labelling requirements for consumer chemical products. The Nabaiji swimming goggles anti-fog restorer have to be labelled as an “irritant,” according to the Canada Consumer Product Safety Act and have been recalled due to improper labelling and packaging.

Dry Shampoo

On Nov. 18, 2022, a massive recall affected various brands of dry shampoo hair products, due to the detection of benzene, which is classified as a human carcinogen.

“Exposure to benzene can occur by inhalation, orally, and through the skin and it can result in cancers including leukemia and blood cancer of the bone marrow and blood disorders which can be life-threatening,” said Health Canada.

No reports had been received as of Oct. 7, 2022, that any injuries had resulted in Canada from the use of dry shampoo from Bed Head TIGI, Dove, and Tresemmé.

Consumers are advised to stop using any product under a recall and contact the affected company for a refund.

Consumer recalls, safety alerts, and advisories issued by Health Canada can be found online.