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10,500 toddler bottles and cups recalled over lead poisoning risk

A photo provided by the Consumer Product Safety Commission shows Green Sprouts stainless-steel sippy cups, sip and straw cups and straw bottles that are being recalled. A company has recalled about 10,500 bottles and cups for toddlers over lead poisoning concerns to children if a part of the product breaks off, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said. (Consumer Product Safety Commission via The New York Times) -- NO SALES; FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY -- (CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION)
By April Rubin New York Times

A company has recalled about 10,500 bottles and cups for toddlers over lead poisoning concerns to children if a part of the product breaks off, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said.

The base of these bottles and cups, manufactured by Green Sprouts, can come off and expose a solder dot that contains lead, posing a potential poison hazard to children, the commission said in a post dated Wednesday.

No injuries have been reported, the commission said, but the company is aware of seven incidents in which the base broke.

“Lead is toxic if ingested by young children, and can cause adverse health effects,” the commission said.

Consumers should take the bottles and cups away from children immediately and discard them, the commission said.

In a statement on its website, Green Sprouts said: “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 solder dot is supposed to be inaccessible under normal use, so this portion was not tested by a safety lab, the company said.

“As we approach the redesign of these products, whose benefits for keeping drinks cold safely have made them a popular choice for parents, we will ensure that lead is not used as a soldering material, no matter whether it would be accessible,” Green Sprouts said.

The plant-plastic and silicone lid and spout can be reused with other Green Sprouts cups and bottles, the company said.

The recalled products, which were sold in aqua, green, navy and pink, come in 6- and 8-ounce sizes. They were available at Buy Buy Baby and Whole Foods stores, and online at Amazon, Buy Buy Baby and Bed Bath & Beyond from January 2020 through September 2022, the commission said.

The commission said Green Sprouts is “contacting all known purchasers directly.” Those who bought the products can contact the company for refunds.

High levels of lead exposure in children can cause comas, convulsions and even death, according to the World Health Organization. Neurological and behavioral effects are believed to be irreversible.

“Children who survive severe lead poisoning may be left with intellectual disability and behavioral disorders,” a WHO statement said.