NEW YORK (AFP) - McDonald's recalled on Monday nearly a million red whistles included with a Hello Kitty-themed toy offered in children's meal choices in the United States and Canada.

The whistle in the Hello Kitty Birthday Lollipop Toy can detach, posing a choking and breathing hazard to young children, the fast-food giant said in a statement.

"McDonald's has received two reports of children who coughed out pieces of the whistle. We have expressed our sincere apologies to them," it said.

About 2.5 million whistles were manufactured to be distributed with children's Happy Meals from Oct 31 through Nov 25 as part of the company's celebration of the 40th anniversary of Hello Kitty, the globally popular cute character created by Japan's Sanrio.

McDonald's said it has recovered abut 1.6 million of the whistles, leaving some 900,000 affected by the recall.