Some Chews Life rosaries, teethers recalled for choking hazard

More than a dozen models of rosaries and teethers designed for young children are being recalled, following the identification of a potential choking hazard.

Chews Life announced on its website and Instagram account that safety snap clasps can detach on six models of its signature silicone rosaries and seven models of decade-length teethers sold online between January and April 2024. 

The affected rosary models are named Assisi, Little Flower, God’s Grace, Cecilia, John the Baptist and Divine Mercy. The recalled silicone teether models — consisting of 10 multicolored beads with a cross at each end — are Genesis, Maccabees, Esther, Wisdom, Divine Mercy, Psalm and Proverbs.

The company said on its website, “Purchases made prior to January 2024 are not affected.”

According to the March 13 notice posted by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, the Michigan-based Chews Life has received 92 reports of the safety snap clasp detaching, with some 5,700 affected units. No injuries have been reported.

The SPSC said that “consumers should immediately stop using the recalled teethers and contact Chews Life to receive a free repair.”

Chews Life said it will provide free shipping for the return and repair of the affected products, with the repair time estimated to be four weeks.

Consumers are asked to contact Chews Life by phone at 888-742-2276, by email at sandy@chewslife.com, or online at chewslife.com/pages/clasp-recall or chewslife.com.

In a message posted on its website, Chews Life said, “We take the quality and safety of our products very seriously.” 

“As part of our design, we have always made certain to use a safety snap clasp on all of our silicone rosaries and decades,” it stated.

The company’s website notes that the safety snap clasps “have a safe release when tugged.”

Chews Life’s teething products are made from “food-grade, BPA-free, formaldehyde free, lead free and phthalates free silicone beads, strung on organic cotton cord,” with the beads tested for impurities and the assembled rosaries “safety-tested in a third-party lab,” according to the company’s website.

At the same time, the company noted that “while these products are made to be safe and durable, they should only be used under adult supervision.” It also said the silicone rosaries, decades and saint bracelets are not meant to be a chewable toy for children ages four and older.

Chews Life was launched on the craft sales site Etsy in 2008, after owner Shannon Wendt, then pregnant with her fourth child, designed a nursing bracelet with a moveable charm to track nursing. In 2015, the company rolled out its soft silicone rosaries, which were “an instant hit” and spurred the design of the Chews Life decade rosaries, according to the company website.

The company also notes on its website that the silicone rosaries and decade teethers are intended to provide an early experience of the rosary that will enable children to “grow up associating the rosary with comfort.”

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