Weber recalls 3.2 million wire-bristle grill brushes

Tiny shards of grill brush bristles have been the subject of myriad news articles, social media videos and community chatter.

If consumed, the tiny bits of metal wreak havoc on the body. In one case, doctors searched for weeks to diagnose a man who suffered from extreme stomach pain, weight loss and other confounding health issues before the culprit was detected in a body scan. Reports of such ailments stretch back more than a decade.

Now, Weber is recalling millions of its grill brushes because their wiry bristles would be hazardous if consumed as part of a barbecued meal.

The company said it’s aware of at least 38 reports of people becoming sick after consuming pieces of grill brush bristles. At least four incidents included people who swallowed metal bristles and had to seek medical treatment to remove them from their throat or gut.

The recall of 3.2 million brushes involves those made with plastic or wood handles measuring between 12 and 21 inches long, the company said. The model numbers, found on the product packaging, include 6277, 6278, 6463, 6464, 6493 and 6494.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission said consumers should stop using the recalled grill...