Kmart issues urgent recall for household gel packs containing fatal chemical

Kmart has issued an urgent recall on a commonly used household item sold in-store and online which is commonly used during heatwaves and to treat minor injuries.

In a statement, Kmart warned Anko’s Small Gel Pak (42010777) and Large Gel Pak (42010784) may contain ethylene glycol.

The substance can cause nausea, vomiting and abdominal cramps if consumed.

Severe poisoning can cause brain, heart or kidney damage and can be fatal.

“If packaging becomes damaged, ethylene glycol can leak out,” the recall notice said.

“The products have been found to contain ethylene glycol, which is highly toxic.”

The affected items can be identified by numbers printed in white text next to the barcode on the gel pack.

According to Kmart, the affected small gel pack was sold between March 18 in 2014 and December 10 in 2025, while the large gel pack was sold between February 11 in 2014 and December 10 in 2025.

“If you have one of the above products, stop using it immediately and keep out of reach of children,” the statement said.

“If swallowed, ethylene glycol can cause irreversible injuries or death.”

The product can be returned to Kmart for a full refund.

For more information, call Kmart Customer Service on 1800 124 125 Monday to Friday from 7am to 6pm (AEST).