Millions of Tide Pods, Gain Flings and more laundry detergent packets recalled

Millions of bags of Tide Pods, Gain Flings, Ace Pods and Ariel Pods liquid laundry detergent packets are being recalled due to potential risk of serious injury, Procter & Gamble and the Consumer Product Safety Commission announced Friday.

Approximately 8.2 million bags are affected by the recall. According to a CPSC release, the bags can split open near the zipper tracks, posing a serious risk of injury, especially for children, if the detergent packets are ingested. The detergent packets may also cause skin or eye injuries, and ingestion can cause death in people with underlying health conditions.

The recall affects Tide Pods, Gain Flings, Ace Pods, and Ariel Pods that were sold in flexible film bags of 12 to 39 laundry detergent packets and manufactured between September 2023 and February 2024. A list of all impacted bags can be found on the Procter & Gamble bag replacement and recall program site.

Recalled detergent bags were manufactured in the U.S. and sold from September 2023 to the present day at Big Lots, CVS, Family Dollar, Home Depot, Sam's Club, Target, Walmart, and other stores nationwide. The products were also sold online at Amazon.com and other websites. They retailed for about $5 for one 12-count bag and $30 for four 39-count bags in a box.

In a statement to "Good Morning America," Procter & Gamble said, "This is a packaging issue not a product quality or safety issue. While the product inside remains safe to use, we are voluntarily recalling a limited number of laundry pac bags and providing consumers with a replacement so they can continue safely using the product -- as millions of families do, every day."

Those with recalled products have been advised to secure the bags out of the reach and sight of young children. Affected customers can contact Procter & Gamble with a photo of the recalled bag with its lot code visible for a full refund and replacement of the product. Customers may also request a cabinet lock for use to secure laundry products and "a free replacement child-resistant bag to store the product," according to the CPSC.

Additional information on refunds and replacements can be found on the Procter & Gamble recall website. Impacted lot codes can be found here.

"Since it is not possible to close the product, we recommend transferring the product to a Tide PODS or Gain Flings tub with a Child Resistant Closure. If you do not have a Child Resistant Container, you may request one from our Consumer Care Team," the company's recall website states. "Please store the product up, closed and safe -- away from children. Then ... because the quality of our product is important to us, our team will provide you with a prepaid debit card for the value of your purchase price as well as a replacement bag and cabinet latch to keep your laundry products secure."

Procter & Gamble said it has received four reports of children in the U.S. gaining access to laundry detergent packets, with three children ingesting them during the time recalled bags were sold, according to the CPSC. However, Procter & Gamble said it isn't known if the laundry packets that were ingested came from recalled bags and they have not confirmed any cases related to this packaging defect.

Laundry detergent pods have come under fire in the last decade for the potential health risks they may pose to children and others from ingestion, prompting doctors to warn about ingesting detergent pods and Procter & Gamble to launch a safety campaign on the subject in January 2018.