Wacky Recall Alert: Tissue Holders Pulled for Nuclear Radiation

NEW YORK (MainStreet) — Bed Bath & Beyond is pulling its Dual Ridge Metal boutique tissue holders from its shelves after it was discovered that the products contain low levels of nuclear radiation.

The retailer is also asking consumers who purchased the products to return them to the nearest Bed Bath & Beyond store for a full refund.

The radiation was confirmed by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, who notified the retailer earlier this week that the product contained low levels of Cobalt-60, a man-made product often used to sterilize medical equipment. It is a source for leveling devices and thickness gauges used during the production of metal products.

The NRC says that although any unnecessary radiation exposure is not desirable, there is no threat to anyone’s health from these tissue holders. The radiation is also restricted to the tissue holder and cannot contaminate other products, such as the tissues.

Federal health officials said the level of radiation exposure from holding this product against body for one hour would be equivalent to a chest X-ray.

The tissue holders were sold in 200 of Bed Bath & Beyond’s 1,000 locations and were also available on the company website since July. They can be identified by model number SKU 18485524 and UPC code 8476820004980.

Consumers with additional questions can call the company at 1-800-462-3966.

—Jeanine Skowronski is staff reporter for MainStreet. You can reach her by email at Skowronski.jeanine@thestreet.com, or follow her on Twitter at @JeanineSko.