Abu Dhabi: A toy drum and drumsticks that pose choking risks can no longer be sold in the emirate of Abu Dhabi following a recall by quality and safety regulator Abu Dhabi Quality and Conformity Council (QCC) on Sunday.
The Lattjo tongue drum and drumstick sets, which were mainly sold by Swedish furniture retailer Ikea, were found to have rubber balls that came unscrewed. These could then choke younger children or cause suffocation if swallowed, the QCC announced in a statement sent on May 2 through state media.
The toys, which were manufactured in China, have been sold in Ikea stores since November 2015. They have also been recalled by Ikea from markets in Germany, Singapore and the United States.
The products bear the model numbers 50310260 and 10301257, and Ikea and Lattjo are printed on their labels.
According to an Ikea website, the Lattjo tongue drum is a solid birch rectangular-shaped drum with a turquoise-dot print on the front and two solid red circles painted on top. The drum comes with a seven inch mallet with a turquoise painted handle and black rubber ball on the end.
The Lattjo drumstick set includes two solid birch drumsticks, two brushes and two mallet-type drumsticks with black rubber balls on the ends. The set was sold in a turquoise polyester roll-up pouch with a red and white striped fabric panel in the centre.
Another Lattjo product, a bat cape manufactured in Vietnam and sold at Ikea, was also recalled earlier this year as it posed strangulation risks, and could cause neck injuries.
The QCC conducts regular safety and quality checks on toys, which are classified as items that are intended for play by children aged 14 or younger. As reported by Gulf News last November (2015), toys that do not meet standards are either recalled in collaboration with the retailers, or banned from sale by the QCC.
Last year alone, the authority checked more than 18,000 toys on sale at supermarkets, toy stores and shops for their compliance with safety and quality requirements.
