A State Farm marketing effort involving a toy giveaway has turned into a beastly problem.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Health Canada announced the insurer is engaged in a voluntary recall of more than 800,000 stuffed teddy bears it handed out that involve a safety hazard.
Company testing discovered that the bears, made in China, have plastic eyes that can come off posing a choking hazard to young children.
The problem was discovered through the company's own testing and the insurer entered into a voluntary recall after finding the problem, Health Canada said in a statement.
Involved are 800,000 stuffed bears given out in the United States and another 27,000 in Canada. The 11-inch and 18-inch toys were distributed as "State Farm Neigh Bears." The commission said the bears are brown and wear a white and red State Farm shirt.
The bears were given away by company agents and at sponsor events from September 2005 through March 2007.
State Farm received one complaint of the incident with the child placing it in her mouth. No injuries were reported.
The commission said the bears should be immediately taken away from children and discarded.
Additional information is available by calling State Farm at (877) 226-8079 weekdays between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. or visiting the company's Web site at www.statefarm.com or www.statefarm.ca.
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