Today, the CPSC is announcing a major recall of more than 10 million Nexgrill metal wire bristle grill brushes due to a dangerous design defect that allows metal bristles to detach and be swallowed without detection. These brushes, manufactured in China, present a serious ingestion hazard.

Detached metal bristles can lodge in the throat or digestive tract and may require medical treatment to remove. Nexgrill is aware of at least 68 reports of bristles detaching, including five incidents in which consumers swallowed bristles and required medical treatment. Consumers should stop using these brushes immediately and switch to non-wire alternatives. This is a known hazard, and the Commission has spent months pressing manufacturers to address it.

Today’s announcement follows the recall of approximately 3.2 million Weber wire grill brushes last month. Together, these actions send a clear message to industry: identify and fix known hazards quickly or face escalating enforcement.

The Commission expects manufacturers to act promptly when safety hazards come to light. When firms delay or fail to implement appropriate corrective actions, CPSC will use the full weight of its enforcement authorities to protect the public. As the Commission evaluates related violations of the Consumer Product Safety Act, including possible reporting violations, it may consider, where appropriate, a firm’s lack of cooperation in implementing corrective actions as an aggravating factor in assessing civil penalties.