Hundreds of thousands of children’s cups recalled in the US over fears they could cause LEAD POISONING
Hundreds of thousands of children’s cups sold across the country have been recalled after they were found to contain unsafe levels of lead.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission issued the recall on Thursday for approximately 346,000 CUPKIN double wall stainless steel cups.
The agency said the cups have lead levels that “exceed the federal ban on lead content.”
If ingested by young children, lead is toxic and can lead to impaired brain and nervous system development.
The baby industry is under pressure to remove harmful contaminants from products, but a recent investigation by a consumer watchdog found that many baby food products now contain higher levels of toxic metals than they did five years ago.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission issued the recall on Thursday for approximately 346,000 CUPKIN Double Wall Stainless Steel Cups
Consumers were warned to ‘remove the cups from children immediately and stop using them’.
The recall includes the 8oz and 12oz cups sold in pairs.
Both sizes were sold on Amazon and CUPKIN’s website between January 2018 and March 2023 for about $20 each.
The cups come in 12 different colors with matching straws: blue and green, pink and purple, blue and gray, peach and teal, black and white, coral and yellow, green and pink, polignac and potpourri, brown and peach, rust and salmon, aqua and periwinkle, and cobalt and mint.
The word ‘Cupkin’ is printed on the front of the underside of the cups.
It’s not clear exactly where the lead is in the product, but as of 2009, the Consumer Product Safety Commission has banned all children’s products from having a concentration of lead greater than 0.009 percent (90 parts per million) in paint or similar surface coatings.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warns that young children exposed to lead may stunt brain and nervous system development.
Experts believe that about 2.5 percent of children under the age of five have been exposed to dangerous levels of lead.
As a result, they can have growth, learning, behavioral, hearing, and speech problems.
The effects of lead exposure can be permanent.
Lead is toxic to children from about 10 mcg/dl. According to the CDC, no safe level of lead has been established in children.
Lead poisoning occurs when lead builds up in the body, usually over months or years.
Even small amounts of lead can cause serious health problems.
Signs of lead poisoning do not occur until dangerous amounts have built up.
Symptoms in children include developmental delay, learning difficulties, irritability, loss of appetite, weight loss, sluggishness and fatigue, and abdominal pain.
There may also be vomiting, constipation, hearing loss, and seizures.
Amazon and Soojimus, the makers of the cups, are contacting all known buyers directly, and Cupkin customers can contact Soojimus for a full refund.
No injuries have been reported, but the CDC says there are often no obvious signs when a child is exposed to lead.
The agency recommends talking to your healthcare provider about a blood test for your child if they may have been exposed to lead.
a study published last year Florida State University researchers found that lead poisoning has robbed Americans of an average of 2.6 IQ points each, mostly from gasoline.