Highest risk U.S. Food and Drug Administration

Gerber® Soothe N Chew® Teething Sticks recall: Potential choking hazard for babies and young children

Recall published 1+ years ago

Potential choking hazard for babies and young children

Gerber Other food products — recalled other food productsGerber Other food products — recalled other food products (photo 2)Gerber Other food products — recalled other food products (photo 3)
3 photos published by U.S. Food and Drug Administration with the recall notice.

The hazard: Choking hazard

Small parts that can detach prompted this recall. The test the CPSC applies is whether a piece fits inside a cylinder roughly the size of a young child’s throat.

What the notice says: Potential choking hazard for babies and young children

Why it matters: Small parts can come off this product, or it contains pieces small enough to block a young child’s airway. Children under three explore with their mouths, and a blocked airway leaves minutes, not hours.

Symptoms and when to call a doctor

If a child is coughing forcefully, let them cough — that clears an object better than anything you can do. If they cannot cough, cry or breathe, call 911 and begin back blows and chest thrusts for an infant, or abdominal thrusts for an older child, if you are trained. After any episode where the object was swallowed rather than spat out, have the child checked: a piece can lodge in the oesophagus without obvious symptoms.

This page is general information, not medical advice. If you feel unwell, a clinician who can see you is the only person able to judge your case.

Recall details

Published
January 31, 2025
Risk level
Highest risk
Issued by
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Brand
Gerber
Product type
Other food products
Distribution
Nationwide
UPC codes
015000046187, 015000046088, 015000010157

Products covered by this recall

Gerber® Soothe N Chew® Teething Sticks

What the company announced

ARLINGTON, VA., January 31, 2025 — Gerber Products Company is initiating a recall and discontinuation of all batches of GERBER® SOOTHE N CHEW® TEETHING STICKS due to a potential choking hazard for babies and young children.

GERBER® SOOTHE N CHEW® TEETHING STICKS were distributed nationwide via the internet and to distribution centers and retail stores in the following states and territories: AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DE, FL, GA, HI, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, NE, NH, NJ, NV, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, VT, WA, WI and Puerto Rico.

Recalled products can be identified as follows:

GERBER® SOOTHE N CHEW® TEETHING STICKS – STRAWBERRY APPLE , Net Wt. 3.2 Oz (90g), with UPC 0 15000 04618 7, all lot codes

GERBER® SOOTHE N CHEW® TEETHING STICKS – BANANA , Net Wt. 3.2 Oz (90g), with UPC 0 15000 04608 8, all lot codes

GERBER® SOOTHE N CHEW® TEETHING STICKS – BANANA , Net Wt. 1.59 Oz (45g), with UPC 0 15000 01015 7, all lot codes

This recall and discontinuation is isolated to GERBER® SOOTHE N CHEW® TEETHING STICKS – STRAWBERRY APPLE and GERBER® SOOTHE N CHEW® TEETHING STICKS – BANANA.

The recall was initiated after receiving consumer complaints of choking incidents. To date, one emergency room visit has been reported to the firm.

Consumers who may have purchased GERBER® SOOTHE N CHEW® TEETHING STICKS should not feed this product to their child and can return the product to the retailer where it was purchased for a refund. Anyone concerned about an injury or illness should contact a health care provider. For any additional support needed, Gerber is available 24/7 at 1-800-4-GERBER (1-800-443-7237).

We are working with the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) on this recall and will cooperate with them fully.

We sincerely apologize for any concern or inconvenience this action represents to parents, caregivers and retail customers.

(Press Release URL: https://www.nestleusa.com/media/pressreleases/gerber-recalldiscontinuation-soothe-n-chew-teething-sticks )

Reproduced from the company announcement posted on fda.gov. Links and contact forms in the original are not repeated here; the official notice below has them.

Check your product

The notice names 5 codes you can read straight off the package. Type the one printed on yours and the list below narrows to it.

UPC / barcode

Read the twelve digits under the barcode on the package.

  • 015000046187
  • 015000046088
  • 015000010157

Package size

Match the net weight or the piece count on the front of the pack.

  • 3.2 Oz
  • 1.59 Oz

Codes are lifted verbatim from the FDA — Company recall announcements notice. A code that is missing here may still be covered — the official notice is the complete list.

What to do about Choking

Gerber — Small parts that can detach prompted this recall. The test the CPSC applies is whether a piece fits inside a cylinder roughly the size of a young child’s throat.

  1. Take the product away from any child under three and check the floor and furniture for pieces that have already come off.
  2. Follow the remedy on this page — most choking recalls are refunded in full.
  3. Refresh infant and child choking first aid if it has been a while; the Red Cross and most hospitals run short courses.
  4. Inspect similar items from the same range or set, since detaching parts usually point to a production problem rather than one bad unit.

Claiming your refund, repair or replacement

The recalling company decides the remedy and funds it. You should never pay for a recall repair or for return shipping.

  • Use the company contact on this page first. Most firms run a dedicated recall page with a claim form that is far quicker than their main support line.
  • No receipt? Say so. Recall refunds are routinely paid without proof of purchase, because the hazard is what triggers the obligation.
  • If you bought it from a retailer rather than the brand, try both. Target, Walmart and Amazon often refund recalled goods from the order history.
  • If the company stops responding, escalate to the CPSC. Firms under a recall order have reporting duties to the agency.

Remedy named in the notice: Consumers who may have purchased GERBER® SOOTHE N CHEW® TEETHING STICKS should not feed this product to their child and can return the product to the retailer where it was purchased for a refund.

Company contact: Gerber Products Company — Consumers: 1-800-4-GERBER (1-800-443-7237)

The official notice

This page summarises a notice published by U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The agency notice is the authoritative version — read it before you act, and treat it as the final word if anything here looks different.

Open the FDA — Company recall announcements record U.S. Food and Drug Administration recalls

Questions people ask about this recall

Why was Gerber other food products recalled?

Potential choking hazard for babies and young children Potential choking hazard for babies and young children

How do I know if I have the recalled product?

Match the codes printed on your package against the notice: UPC 015000046187, 015000046088, 015000010157. If the code on your package is not on that list, your unit is outside the recall.

What should I do with it right now?

Take the product away from any child under three and check the floor and furniture for pieces that have already come off.

Can I get my money back?

The notice says: Consumers who may have purchased GERBER® SOOTHE N CHEW® TEETHING STICKS should not feed this product to their child and can return the product to the retailer where it was purchased for a refund.

Where was the recalled product sold?

It was distributed nationwide.

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