Expandable lunch boxes recalled

WASHINGTON, Jan. 28 (UPI) -- The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announced a voluntary recall of 248,000 California Innovations lunch boxes due to the use of hazardous materials.

The expandable insulated lunch box with freezer gel pack could expose a consumer to diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol, which are in the gel that makes up the freezer pack that comes with the lunch boxes.

These packs can leak with the chemicals posing a poisoning hazard if ingested by children or adults.

The company has received two separate reports of a dog chewing and ingesting gel from the gel pack. One dog reportedly died after ingesting the gel. The other was reported to have received treatment and has recovered.

The product under recall is a Ci Sport three-piece, expandable, insulated lunch box set, which includes the lunch box, aluminum bottle and the freezer gel pack.

The recalled lunch boxes are in a code set of "1-61731-99-57," which is printed on one of the two white labels that are sewn under the white fastener inside the main compartment of the lunch box.

The lunch boxes are 8 inches wide, 5 inches deep and 10.25 inches high. They are made of vinyl, polyester nylon and crushed nylon.

The gel pack is a 6-inch by 4-inch transparent plastic pouch filled with blue liquid gel. The words "Cryofreeze" and "Ice Pack/Hot Pack" are printed in white letters on the front of the pouch.

The lunch boxes were sold nationwide in navy blue, red, black and denim blue between May 2007 and September 2008 for about $10.

Consumers were advised to stop using the gel packs and dispose of them according to federal, state and local regulations.

Consumers can return the lunch box set to Costco for a full refund or may receive a $5 cash refund for the gel pack only by contacting California Innovations.

Consumer can call 800-722-2545 for information.