Lead poisoning risk leads to recall of thousands of sippy cups sold nationwide
Three types of children's sippy cups and stainless steel water bottles are being voluntarily recalled because they may break and expose kids to lead, according to a notice from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.
The recall affects Green Sprouts Stainless Steel Straw Bottles (6 ounces), Sippy Cups (6 ounces) and Sip & Straw Cups, which were sold at Whole Foods and Buy Buy Baby stores across the U.S.
The bottles were also sold online at amazon.com, bedbathandbeyond.com, and buybuybaby.com from January 2020 through September 2022, the recall notice explained.
Affected products have one of the following five tracking numbers, found on the bottom of the base of the cup:
29218V06985
35719V06985
33020V06985
29218V06985
35719V06985
In total, the recall affects about 10,500 bottles, the CPSC said.
"The recalled stainless-steel bottles and cups bottom base can break off, exposing a solder dot that contains lead, posing a lead poisoning hazard to the child," CPSP said in the Nov. 23 recall notice. "Lead is toxic if ingested by young children, and can cause adverse health effects."
So far, the CPSP said it has received seven reports of the base of the cups breaking off and exposing the solder dot, but there have not been any recorded injuries related to the recall to date.
Green Sprouts is offering refunds to consumers who've purchased the recalled bottles and cups, CPSC said.
"We were recently made aware that our Stainless-Steel Sippy Cups, Sip & Straw Cups, and Straw Bottles were manufactured with a solder dot containing lead that creates a vacuum seal between the internal and external steel layers. Testing of this component was omitted by the CPSC-approved third-party lab because this part of the product is inaccessible under normal use," Green Sprouts explained in a statement on its website.
"Had we been aware that a component containing lead in these products could become accessible, we wouldn’t have put them on the market; now that we know, we are voluntarily recalling these products," the company continued. "There is negligible risk to the health and safety of users. We are undertaking the costs and challenges of this recall voluntarily because our customers’ health and safety must come first."
The CPSP advised consumers to discard the bottles and cups entirely. And Green Sprouts encouraged those who've bought the products "to use the plant-plastic and silicone lid and spout with other Green Sprouts cups and bottles," the company's statement said, noting that "you can safely dispose of the stainless-steel components in the trash."
Anyone who's purchased the bottles and cups should check the bottom of the product for a tracking number to see if it's included in the recall. They can then contact Green Sprouts through a form on the company's website to request a refund or store credit for their recalled product.
If you're concerned that your child has been exposed to lead, contact a health care provider, who can test for lead in your child's blood, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend. Many kids with lead in their blood have no symptoms, according to Nemours Children's Health, but for those who do, common ones include: loss of appetite, feeling tired or irritable, poor growth, nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, constipation, joint pain, muscle weakness and headaches.
This article was originally published on TODAY.com
