Children at risk of swallowing laundry detergent capsules!

- Keep them away from children and out of reach as it can be mistaken for jelly or toy -

The use of laundry detergent capsules^* is increasing worldwide. They come in single-use packets made from water-soluble film and contain high-enriched liquid detergent. However, accidents are occurring involving children who mistake the colorful-shaped detergent capsules as jelly, toys or teething rings and burst it after putting it in their mouth.

 In line with the OECD International Awareness Week^* on Laundry Detergent Capsules (Mar 16-23, 2015), the Korea Consumer Agency (www.kca.go.kr) issued a safety warning aimed at raising awareness among consumers and businesses.

 Laundry detergent capsule-related accidents and injuries^* are not common in Korea given its relatively small market size, but safety accidents involving children are frequently occurring in the US, Europe and Japan. In 2013, there was an incident in the US where a child died after swallowing a detergent capsule.

According to the OECD, more than 17,000 cases of poisoning accidents involving children under the age of six were reported in the US from 2012 to 2013, of which 769 children required hospitalized treatment. In Japan, 148 accidents were reported from 2014 to January 2015, of which 88 cases involved swallowing. Symptoms associated with swallowing a laundry detergent capsule are vomiting, difficulty in breathing, and loss of consciousness. If the detergent enters the eye, it may lead to chemical burns and temporary loss of eyesight.

The KCA reviewed eight types of laundry detergent capsules currently available in the market and found that four products failed to meet standard labeling requirements on directions for use.

In particular, five of the eight products were found to have indicated incorrect information on emergency measures (i.e., "Make a child vomit upon swallowing"). Forcing a child to vomit after swallowing a detergent capsule may lead to more serious problems, such as the chemical substance entering the airway. The proper measure is to take the child immediately to a hospital.

The dangers related to laundry detergent capsules are prevalent in the US and Europe, resulting in regulations and guidelines on product packaging. Accordingly, the KCA recommended laundry detergent capsules to be safely kept away from children and advised consumers to bear in mind appropriate emergency measures.

As such, the Korea Agency for Technology and Standard (KATS) came up with a standard phrase on proper emergency measures and recommended producers to label the phrase on their products. In addition, the KATS decided to consider applying the use of child-resistant packaging for laundry detergent capsules in order to prevent swallowing accidents.