Urgent supermarket toy recall issued over asbestos fears
Asda has issued a product recall For two children’s toys that may contain traces of asbestos.
The supermarket is recalling two types of Stretcherz figurines that stretch to three times their normal size, with a “sand-like material” inside and tests showing they may contain “trace levels of asbestos”.
Asda said it was asking customers to return items sold for two years out of “an abundance of caution”.
The supermarket acknowledged that “asbestos should not have been present in any quantity” and added that it was “very sorry” although there were no reports of damage.
The recalled toys are the Stretcherz “Stretch Squad” figures, as well as the similarly stretchy “Slammerz” figures, but the characters feature oversized heads that bounce and then reform when struck against the ground.
People who purchased toys sold between January 2024 and February 2026 are asked to return them to the store where they were purchased for a full refund.
The recall affects products with barcode numbers 5050837662419 and 5050835105345.
Asda said no other Stretcherz toys were affected.
In a statement, Asda said: “The overall risk is assessed to be low but as asbestos should not be present in any quantity we are recalling the affected products as a precaution.
“Although we have not received any reports of damage, we are taking this action out of an abundance of caution and in line with our commitment to the highest safety and quality standards.
“Customers are advised to immediately stop using the affected products and follow the recall instructions provided through our customer service channels.”
The following statements were included in the statement: “We are very sorry for the inconvenience caused.”
Fears that asbestos was found in toys emerged just weeks after Hobby Craft was forced to stop sales of colored sand after independent tests allegedly found asbestos fibres.
A concerned parent who sent colored sand to a lab for testing claimed traces of asbestos fibers were found in bottles of yellow, green and pink sand sold in the store’s Giant Craft Box kit.
Concerns were sparked in November last year after 69 schools in Australia were forced to close and colored play sand was recalled due to asbestos risks.
Independent Contacted Asda for further comment.
