Walmart is recalling about 4,477,655 Expert Grill metal wire bristle grill brushes because the bristles can break loose and end up in food, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said. Owners should stop using the brushes and can get a refund or Walmart credit, according to the recall notice dated Oct. 1.
Which Expert Grill Brushes Are Recalled
The recall, numbered 27-010, covers brushes with black plastic or stainless-steel handles. Some include a built-in metal scraper. Walmart sold five products under the Expert Grill name, and the model number appears on the packaging or on a sticker or tag, the commission said in its notice. They are:
- EX5607031616002, a 16-inch steel fiber scrub brush and scraper, sold from January 2025 to August 2026.
- EX5607031616003, a handheld steel fiber scrub brush with an ergonomic handle, sold January 2025 to August 2026.
- XG1310700206, a 21-inch three-head brush with stainless steel bristles and a soft-grip handle, sold January 2022 to August 2026.
- XG1136178597003, a 17.7-inch long-handle brush with a scraper, sold January 2021 to August 2026.
- XG1410700124, a 10-piece stainless steel grill tool set, sold December 2023 to August 2026.
Walmart sold the brushes in its stores and on Walmart.com for between $1 and $28, the commission said. The notice lists Walmart, Inc., of Bentonville, Arkansas, as the importer and says the brushes were made in China.
The commission said no injuries have been reported. Its notice warns that a swallowed bristle poses an ingestion hazard and can cause serious internal injuries that may require surgery. “Consumers should stop using the recalled grill brushes immediately,” the commission said in the notice.
Refund, Credit and How to Reach Walmart
Walmart is offering a full refund or a credit good at any Walmart store or on Walmart.com. Customers will be asked to return the brushes or throw them away, according to the notice. The company’s recall line is 800-925-6278, open 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Central time Monday through Friday. Walmart also runs a recall page at corporate.walmart.com recalls. Consumers can reach the commission at 800-638-2772.
The notice does not say how many of the 4.48 million brushes are still in use. It also does not mention Canada.
The Size of the Recall in Daily Sales
The sales window gives a way to size this recall that the notice does not spell out. The oldest of the five products went on sale in January 2021, and the notice’s last sale month is August 2026. That is 68 months, or about 2,070 days.
Divided evenly across that span, 4,477,655 brushes equals about 65,800 a month, or roughly 2,160 a day. Actual sales were not even, and the notice gives no yearly breakdown. The average still shows the scale. The commission’s recall list includes 10 recalls dated Oct. 1, and this one accounts for most of the units. The next largest that day covers about 77,000 hand warmers.
The recall number, 27-010, shows it was the 10th of the new federal fiscal year, which began Oct. 1. The commission’s list shows exactly 10 recalls with that date.
What Researchers Have Found On Wire-Bristle Injuries
The commission’s notice reports no incidents, so the injury record comes from medical research. A 2016 study in the journal Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery looked at the commission’s own injury database. Researchers from the University of Missouri School of Medicine used the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System to estimate emergency room visits from 2002 to 2014, according to the study abstract.
The database held 43 cases. Weighted to represent the country, they extrapolated to an estimated 1,698 emergency room visits, with a 95% confidence interval of 1,468 to 1,927. Over the 13 years studied, that is about 130 visits a year. Each case in the sample stood in for about 39 visits nationally.
The mean patient age was 30, and the oropharynx, the back of the mouth and throat, was the most common injury site. Raw case counts peaked in June, July and August. The authors concluded that the injury is uncommon but prevalent during certain seasons, and that consumers and manufacturers need greater awareness.
The study counts only emergency department visits. Urgent care and other outpatient settings are outside its numbers, so the real total is likely higher, according to the University of Missouri’s account of the research. David Chang, an associate professor of otolaryngology at the school, said the injuries “are more prominent in summer months.” Chang advised checking a brush before each use and discarding any with loose bristles. He also suggested nylon brushes or balls of foil as alternatives.
A 2022 systematic review in the same journal gathered 57 published studies covering 91 patients with swallowed bristles. It found the bristles lodged in the upper aerodigestive tract in 48 patients, the abdomen in 26 and the deep neck in 17, according to the review abstract. Computed tomography was the most accurate first imaging method, identifying 92.8% of bristles. The authors called retained bristles “an underrecognized and difficult-to-manage hazard.”
What Shoppers With Expert Grill Brushes Should Do
Owners can match the model number on the package, sticker or tag against the five listed above. The commission said consumers should stop using the recalled brushes right away. The notice covers brushes sold as late as August, so some owners bought them within the past few weeks.
Chang’s advice to inspect grates after cleaning applies to any wire brush, recalled or not. People who feel pain when swallowing after eating grilled food should see a doctor and mention the grilling, Chang said in the university’s account. The notice does not address receipts, so shoppers who want a refund can call Walmart’s recall line to ask what it requires.
