Tesco has issued an urgent recall of a Peppa Pig magazine after a faulty toy included with the publication was found to pose a significant choking hazard to young children. The toy, a set of plastic keys, can break into small pieces, increasing the danger, particularly for children under three years old. This recall, which affects Issue 419 of the magazine, has raised concerns over the safety of such promotional toys and emphasises the importance of rigorous safety standards in children’s products.
The issue, which went on sale in mid-September, has prompted an immediate response from both the supermarket giant and the magazine’s publisher, Story House Egmont. Parents have been urged to dispose of the toy or return the magazine for a full refund, with no receipt required.
The Faulty Toy: A Risk to Children
According to Story House Egmont, the publisher behind the Peppa Pig magazine, the toy keys included in the September 2025 edition were found to have a manufacturing fault. The keys can come apart, creating small detachable parts, which pose a choking risk.
“The key comes apart and causes small parts, which means the product is not safe for children under three years as the labelling indicates,” the company stated in a safety notice.
This product defect is considered especially dangerous for younger children, as they are more likely to put small objects in their mouths.
Tesco, in collaboration with the publisher, has been swift to act in order to mitigate the risk to children. The retailer confirmed that customers who have purchased the affected magazine can return it to any Tesco store for a full refund, with no proof of purchase required. This precaution is in place to ensure that the product is removed from circulation as quickly as possible.
Understanding the Importance of Product Safety
This recall highlights an ongoing concern with safety standards for children’s products, especially those that include small parts or promotional gifts. The Toys (Safety) Regulations 2011 stipulate that toys for children under 36 months must be designed without small, detachable parts that could pose a choking hazard.
However, despite these regulations, lapses in product design and manufacturing can still lead to dangerous situations, as seen in the recent recall. This incident follows a similar recall of children’s clothing by Next, where faulty poppers on garments were also deemed a choking risk.
