Consumer Groups Warn that New Easter Candy Poses Serious Hazard

Urge CPSC to Remove ‘Megga Surprize’ from Shelves to Protect Children

            WASHINGTON, DC—With only days to go before children dig into their Easter baskets, the National Consumers League (NCL) and the Consumer Federation of America (CFA) urged the government today to pull a new Easter candy off the market because they say it poses a choking hazard.

The new candy, called “Megga Surprize” and manufactured by the Whetstone Candy Co. in St. Augustine, Fla., is a plastic egg mostly encased in milk chocolate and filled with paper toys. The two national consumer organizations warned that young children are likely to put the egg, which smells like chocolate even after the candy is eaten, into their mouths, creating a potential suffocation hazard.

“Because of its size, shape, color, and smell, this plastic egg will undoubtedly end up in children’s mouths—with potentially deadly consequences,” said Linda Golodner, president of NCL. “This candy has no place in children’s Easter baskets.”

In a joint letter, the NCL and CFA urged the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to take immediate enforcement action to halt the product’s distribution and sale. In the meantime, the consumer groups are warning parents to keep this candy away from their children.

“Parents should not give this product to their children, especially younger children,” said Arthur S. Jaeger, assistant director of Consumer Federation of America. “It is a recipe for tragedy.”

The consumer groups pointed to a report prepared by Safety Behavior Analysis Inc. that warned of serious danger from the product. The product safety report noted that the plastic egg has “an effective maximum diameter” of 1.58 inches. It cites choking incidents involving objects of similar size and shape, stating that “widely distributed choking hazard data and technical reports indicate that spherical shapes smaller than 1.68 inches in diameter present a serious choking hazard.”

Although the plastic egg contains a narrow plastic ridge, the report said that this “slight ridge is unlikely to be effective in preventing the object from sliding from the mouth into the back of the throat and obstructing the airway.” The report concludes that the plastic egg constitutes a “serious choking hazard due to its size, shape, and intended age group.”

“That’s why we’re urging the CPSC to stop the sale of this dangerous product,” Golodner said. “We don’t want any more children to die needlessly when a tragedy can be prevented.”

• Photos of  "Megga Surprize"

• Letter to Consumer Product Safety Commission

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America's pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to identify, protect, represent, and advance the economic and social interests of consumers and workers. NCL is a private, nonprofit membership organization.

CFA was founded in 1968 to advance the consumer interest though advocacy and education. It is an association of more than 270 pro-consumer groups. Most are national state and local consumer advocacy and education groups.

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