The recalled candy was sold individually and in packs of three or 12 bottles, with each bottle containing 1.85 fluid ounces of sour liquid candy dispensed through a rollerball top.
CPSC reported no incidents or injuries involving Ricky Joy Sour Crush when the recall was announced, but the agency has previously warned that similar roller-ball candies have been associated with a child’s death and another child requiring emergency surgery.
Quick Facts
- About 2.3 million Ricky Joy Sour Crush Rolling Liquid Candy bottles are included in the September 2026 recall.
- The rolling ball can detach and become lodged in a child’s throat, creating a potentially fatal choking hazard.
- No incidents or injuries involving the recalled Ricky Joy candy had been reported when CPSC announced the recall.
- The recalled products were sold nationwide and online from January 2023 through May 2026.
Table Of Contents
- Latest Sour Crush Rolling Liquid Candy Recall and Lawsuit Developments
- What Is Sour Crush Rolling Liquid Candy?
- Why Was Sour Crush Rolling Liquid Candy Recalled?
- Which Sour Crush Flavors Are Recalled?
- How Many Sour Crush Candy Bottles Were Recalled?
- Where Was the Recalled Candy Sold?
- How Much Did the Recalled Candy Cost?
- Who Imported the Sour Crush Candy?
- Have Any Ricky Joy Choking Injuries Been Reported?
- Why Are Roller-Ball Candies Considered Dangerous?
- What Is the Sour Crush Recall Remedy?
- What Injuries Can Choking Cause?
- Who May Be Affected?
- Who May Be Liable?
- Do I Qualify?
- What Evidence Should I Preserve?
- Do I Have a Sour Crush Rolling Liquid Candy Lawsuit?
- Important Legal Actions or Recalls
- Potential Compensation
- Legal Process Overview
- Frequently Asked Questions About the Sour Crush Recall
- Do I Have a Sour Crush Rolling Liquid Candy Lawsuit?
- What Evidence May Support a Sour Crush Rolling Liquid Candy Lawsuit?
- Which Sour Crush Products Were Recalled?
- How Many Sour Crush Candy Bottles Were Recalled?
- Why Can the Candy Cause Choking?
- Have Any Ricky Joy Injuries Been Reported?
- Where Was Sour Crush Rolling Liquid Candy Sold?
- What Is Ricky Joy Offering Under the Recall?
- References
Latest Sour Crush Rolling Liquid Candy Recall and Lawsuit Developments
September 2026
- September 10, 2026 – CPSC announced the recall of about 2.3 million Ricky Joy Sour Crush Rolling Liquid Candy bottles because the rolling ball can detach and pose a serious or potentially fatal choking hazard. No incidents or injuries involving the recalled Ricky Joy product had been reported at the time of the announcement [1]
- September 10, 2026 – Ricky Joy published its recall program instructing consumers to stop using the candy and keep it away from children. The company provides prepaid return shipping and offers a $3 refund for eligible non-empty, non-expired products and $1.50 for products that are empty or expired [2]
March 2024
- March 21, 2024 – CPSC recalled Happiness USA Liquid Rolling Candy after determining that its rolling ball could dislodge into a child’s mouth and create a choking and death hazard. The separate action illustrates that detachable rollerballs have been an established CPSC concern across multiple candy brands [3]
- March 21, 2024 – CPSC issued a broad warning advising consumers to stop purchasing and using roller-ball candy products because the balls can dislodge and become trapped in a child’s throat. CPSC said one 7-year-old girl had died in an earlier roller-ball candy incident and another 7-year-old required emergency surgery [4]
What Is Sour Crush Rolling Liquid Candy?
Sour Crush Rolling Liquid Candy is a Ricky Joy-branded liquid candy dispensed through a plastic bottle with a rollerball applicator.
Each recalled bottle contains approximately 1.85 fluid ounces of sour liquid candy. The rollerball is designed to rotate as the candy is applied to the tongue.
CPSC identifies the recalled product by the Ricky Joy branding, “EXTREME SOUR” and “SOUR CRUSH” wording, flavor name, and an image of a green monster on the bottle.
Why Was Sour Crush Rolling Liquid Candy Recalled?
The safety problem involves the rollerball at the top of the bottle.
CPSC says the ball can detach from the container and enter a child’s mouth. If it becomes lodged in the throat, it can obstruct breathing and create a risk of serious injury or death.
This is not merely a labeling concern; the recalled component itself can separate from the product during use.
Which Sour Crush Flavors Are Recalled?
The recall covers Ricky Joy Sour Crush Rolling Liquid Candy sold in four colors and flavors:
- Blue – Blue Raspberry
- Red – Strawberry
- Green – Green Apple
- Pink – Watermelon
The candy was sold as individual bottles and in packages containing three or 12 bottles.
How Many Sour Crush Candy Bottles Were Recalled?
CPSC reports that approximately 2.3 million Ricky Joy Sour Crush Rolling Liquid Candy bottles are included in the recall.
The large unit count reflects nationwide distribution through physical candy retailers and multiple online sellers.
Where Was the Recalled Candy Sold?
The recalled candy was sold at H-E-B, Forman Mills, and other candy stores nationwide.
Online sellers included Walmart.com, CandyFunHouse.com, RickyJoy.com, and other internet retailers.
Sales occurred from January 2023 through May 2026.
How Much Did the Recalled Candy Cost?
Individual bottles sold for approximately $3.
Multi-bottle packs sold for approximately $13 to $32 depending on the package size and retailer.
Who Imported the Sour Crush Candy?
CPSC identifies International Trade Imports LLC, doing business as The Ricky Joy Company, of Cumming, Georgia, as the importer.
The recalled candy was manufactured in Colombia.
The official CPSC recall number is 26-748.
Have Any Ricky Joy Choking Injuries Been Reported?
No incidents or injuries involving the recalled Ricky Joy Sour Crush candy had been reported when CPSC announced the recall.
That does not eliminate the hazard identified by the agency. CPSC characterizes a detached rollerball as capable of causing serious injury or death from choking.
Why Are Roller-Ball Candies Considered Dangerous?
The applicator ball is positioned directly at the mouth during normal use.
If the ball separates from the container while a child is licking or sucking the candy, it can enter the mouth without warning and become lodged in the airway.
CPSC issued a category-wide warning in 2024 after serious incidents involving similar candies, including one child death and another child who required surgery to remove a rollerball from the throat.
What Is the Sour Crush Recall Remedy?
CPSC instructs consumers to stop using the recalled bottles immediately and take them away from children.
Ricky Joy provides a prepaid shipping label so affected products can be returned directly to the company.
The company’s recall page states that eligible non-empty, non-expired bottles receive a $3 refund, while empty or expired products receive a $1.50 refund after the complete product is returned and verified.
What Injuries Can Choking Cause?
A foreign object lodged in the throat can partially or completely obstruct the airway and prevent oxygen from reaching the lungs.
A severe choking event may result in loss of consciousness, emergency airway intervention, neurological injury from oxygen deprivation, hospitalization, or death.
The medical consequences of an individual incident should be established through emergency records, hospital records, diagnostic testing, and follow-up care.
Who May Be Affected?
Potentially affected families include those whose child used a recalled Ricky Joy Sour Crush Rolling Liquid Candy bottle and experienced choking, gagging, breathing difficulty, or another significant medical complication.
Simply purchasing recalled candy generally does not establish an injury claim. A potential case ordinarily requires an actual injury and evidence connecting that injury to the recalled product.
Who May Be Liable?
Potentially responsible parties may include a manufacturer, importer, distributor, retailer, or online seller depending on the product’s supply chain and applicable law.
Potential theories may include defective design or manufacture, inadequate warnings, negligence, breach of warranty, or other product-liability claims.
A CPSC recall does not automatically establish civil liability. Product identification, defect, causation, injury, damages, and applicable law must still be evaluated individually.
Do I Qualify?
- Did your child use a recalled Ricky Joy Sour Crush Rolling Liquid Candy bottle?
- Did the rollerball detach or enter the child’s mouth or throat and cause choking, gagging, or breathing difficulty?
- Did the incident require emergency treatment, hospitalization, surgery, airway intervention, or other significant medical care?
- Do you have the candy bottle, packaging, receipt, photographs, medical records, or other evidence documenting the incident?
An individualized legal review can determine whether the recalled product, choking event, medical injuries, causation evidence, damages, and applicable filing deadlines support a potential claim.
What Evidence Should I Preserve?
Preserve photographs of the candy bottle, rollerball assembly, cap, labels, flavor, packaging, and any detached component.
Purchase evidence may include store receipts, Walmart or other online order histories, payment records, emails, and shipping confirmations.
If an injury occurred, preserve ambulance reports, emergency-room records, imaging, procedure records, hospital documentation, medical bills, and follow-up treatment records.
Do I Have a Sour Crush Rolling Liquid Candy Lawsuit?
If your child suffered a serious choking injury involving recalled Ricky Joy Sour Crush Rolling Liquid Candy, you may have legal options. Contact Schmidt & Clark for a free case review.
Important Legal Actions or Recalls
| Event | Month/Year | Type | Status | Source | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ricky Joy Sour Crush recall | September 2026 | CPSC recall | Refund available | CPSC | About 2.3 million bottles |
| Happiness USA candy recall | March 2024 | CPSC recall | Recall announced | CPSC | Similar rollerball hazard |
| Roller-ball candy safety warning | March 2024 | CPSC warning | Category warning | CPSC | One death reported |
Potential Compensation
Potential compensation may include emergency treatment, ambulance services, hospitalization, surgery, diagnostic testing, follow-up care, rehabilitation, and future medical expenses supported by an individual case.
Additional damages may include lost income for a parent or caregiver, pain and suffering, permanent neurological injury, disability, and wrongful-death damages where permitted by applicable law.
Compensation amounts vary by case. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes.
Legal Process Overview
Free case review: The initial review may address the recalled candy, purchase history, choking event, medical treatment, and available documentation.
Investigation. Attorneys may review the product, photographs, purchase records, CPSC materials, medical records, witness information, and expert evidence.
Filing. A lawsuit may be filed when available evidence and governing law support one or more claims. Filing deadlines vary by jurisdiction.
Discovery/negotiation: The parties may exchange product-design information, manufacturing and testing records, incident evidence, distribution documents, medical records, expert opinions, and testimony while discussing possible resolution.
Resolution: A case may conclude through settlement, dismissal, court ruling, or trial. No outcome or timeline can be guaranteed.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Sour Crush Recall
Do I Have a Sour Crush Rolling Liquid Candy Lawsuit?
A potential case may warrant review if a recalled Ricky Joy candy bottle caused a serious choking or airway injury. Eligibility depends on product identification, causation, injury severity, available evidence, damages, and applicable law.
What Evidence May Support a Sour Crush Rolling Liquid Candy Lawsuit?
Useful evidence may include the candy bottle, rollerball, cap, packaging, receipt, photographs, online order history, medical records, emergency reports, and witness information. Preserving the detached rollerball or other product components may also help document how the incident occurred.
Which Sour Crush Products Were Recalled?
The recall covers Ricky Joy Sour Crush Rolling Liquid Candy in blue raspberry, strawberry, green apple, and watermelon flavors. The products were sold individually and in packages containing three or 12 bottles.
How Many Sour Crush Candy Bottles Were Recalled?
CPSC reports that approximately 2.3 million bottles are included in the recall. The affected candy was distributed nationwide through physical stores and online retailers.
Why Can the Candy Cause Choking?
The rolling ball can separate from the plastic bottle while the candy is being used. If the ball enters a child’s mouth and becomes lodged in the throat, it can partially or completely obstruct the airway.
Have Any Ricky Joy Injuries Been Reported?
No incidents or injuries involving the recalled Ricky Joy candy had been reported when CPSC announced the recall. The agency nevertheless determined that the detachable rollerball creates a risk of serious injury or death from choking.
Where Was Sour Crush Rolling Liquid Candy Sold?
The candy was sold at H-E-B, Forman Mills, other candy stores nationwide, Walmart.com, CandyFunHouse.com, RickyJoy.com, and other online retailers. CPSC states that sales occurred from January 2023 through May 2026.
What Is Ricky Joy Offering Under the Recall?
Ricky Joy is providing refunds after recalled products are returned using a prepaid shipping label. The company’s recall program lists different refund amounts depending on whether the product is empty, expired, or still contains candy.
References
- https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2026/Ricky-Joy-Recalls-More-Than-2-3-Million-Sour-Crush-Candy-Bottles-Due-to-Risk-of-Serious-Injury-or-Death-from-Choking-Hazard
- https://rickyjoy.com/pages/recall-information
- https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2024/Twenty-Four-Six-Foods-Recalls-Happiness-USA-Roller-Ball-Candy-Due-to-Choking-Hazards
- https://www.cpsc.gov/Newsroom/News-Releases/2024/CPSC-Warns-Consumers-to-Immediately-Stop-Purchasing-and-Using-All-Roller-Ball-Candy-Type-Products-Due-to-Choking-Hazard-One-Death-Reported