Walmart Recalls 4.5M Grill Brushes Over Metal Bristle Hazard
Products sold since 2021 pose ingestion risks as detached wires can pierce the digestive tract
Nearly 4.5 million Expert Grill brand barbecue brushes sold at Walmart stores and online since January 2021 are being recalled because their wire bristles can detach during use, lodge on cooking grates and end up ingested with food.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announced the recall Oct. 1. No injuries or incidents have been reported so far, but medical literature documents hundreds of emergency room visits nationwide over the past decade involving people who accidentally swallowed loose wire bristles from similar grill-cleaning tools. When ingested, these thin metal filaments can pierce the lining of the throat, esophagus, stomach or intestines, frequently requiring surgical intervention to remove.
Because the affected products have been on shelves for more than five years, many consumers may have purchased them long ago and stored them without realizing they pose a hazard. The recalled items were manufactured in China and imported by Walmart, which is headquartered in Bentonville, Arkansas. They range in price from $1 to $28 and include handheld models, long-handled brushes equipped with scrapers, a three-head stainless steel bristle brush and a 10-piece barbecue tool set. Handles are either black plastic or stainless steel.
Shoppers can verify whether they own an affected brush by checking the model numbers published in the CPSC recall notice. Walmart is offering a full refund or store credit usable in its physical locations or at Walmart.com. Customers will be instructed to return the brushes or dispose of them immediately rather than continue using them.
Wire-bristle grill brushes remain widely available across the retail industry despite repeated warnings from physicians and consumer safety advocates. Gastroenterologists routinely recommend switching to alternatives that eliminate the shedding risk entirely. Nylon-bristle brushes, wooden grill scrapers, pumice stones, coiled stainless steel scrubbers without individual bristles and crumpled aluminum foil are common substitutes that clean grill grates without leaving behind ingestible metal fragments.
Consumers who suspect they have swallowed a wire bristle should seek immediate medical attention, as symptoms such as throat pain or difficulty swallowing can escalate quickly if the metal migrates through soft tissue.
Walmart customers seeking information about the recall can contact the retailer at 800-925-6278 between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m. Central Time, Monday through Friday, or visit the company’s product recall website.
