Panda Mart children’s products recalled due to safety concerns, Commerce Commission investigating

A number of Panda Mart children's products including bikes, toys and baby rattles, have been recalled. Photo / Composite / Supplied

A number of children’s products sold at Panda Mart, including baby rattles, are being urgently recalled ahead of Christmas amid concerns the stock does not “comply with Product Safety Standards”.

At the time of writing, 13 recall notices have been issued via the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) for Panda Mart products over the last three days.

In a statement on Thursday afternoon, the Commerce Commission said urgent action has been taken to stop the sale of items that could be unsafe for children.

Some of the products included in the mass recall include baby walkers, rattles, bikes, hot water bottles, sunscreen and various toys, such as a musical phone and baby game blanket.

“Businesses must ensure that the products they supply comply with legal requirements and are safe for the intended user - particularly toys for small children where the consequences of unsafe items can be dire,” Commerce Commission deputy chairwoman Anne Callinan said.

A “significant number of products” identified during safety inspections may not “comply with Product Safety Standards or Unsafe Goods Notices”, Callinan added.

“We urge all parents who have these toys, bikes, or other products to return them – the dollar value of the products might be small, but the risk of harm to young children is not worth taking."

An initial review of Panda Mart by the commission identified 20 toys of concern, including seven “non-compliant” bikes, two of which were designed for children but did not have rear pedal brakes. Children’s bikes without rear pedal brakes can be dangerous, as youngsters may not have the strength or co-ordination to use handbrakes, Callinan said.

“[The toys are] intended for kids under 3 and have small parts, don’t seem sturdy enough to take the knocks they’ll get during child play, or could be a suffocation risk. It’s harder for children under 3 to cough things up and so there’s a higher risk that they could choke if they swallow things on accident,” she said.

“To avoid this risk, toys for small children should be larger than the average size and shape of a child’s throat – anything smaller than a ping pong ball would raise concerns. Babies often put things in their mouth and so there’s a high chance a baby rattle will end up in there as well. Rattles shouldn’t be a size or shape that could get lodged in a baby’s throat and block their airways.”

The budget retailer said it is working with the ministry and voluntarily issued the recall notices.

“PD Mart is aware of the product recall notices published online. The recall notices were submitted to MBIE directly by PD Mart voluntarily,” a spokesperson for Panda Mart told the Herald.

“We take these matters seriously and can confirm all affected items have been removed from our stores while we work to address the safety concerns reflected in the recall notices.”

Consumers are urged to immediately cease using the recalled products and return them to Panda Mart in Auckland or PD Mart in Christchurch for a full refund.

There is a full list of the affected products and the recall notices can be found here.

The investigation into Panda Mart is ongoing, Callinan noted.

It follows a highly publicised recall of Kmart’s Christmas-themed bedding earlier this month after two quilts were linked to people in Australia ending up in hospital.

An Auckland couple later exclusively told the Herald they had experienced a raft of health issues after purchasing and using the affected bedding.

In September, the Commerce Commission announced it was filing criminal charges against The Warehouse over potentially dangerous kids' toys.

In 2023, Zuru recalled 7.5 million Baby Shark toys after reports of lacerations and puncture wounds.