Consumer Reports recently determined that the Bindle Bottle, a product that had been a huge hit on social media, had high levels of lead, resulting in a recall.
The Bindle Bottle is the first beverage container of its kind, according to its manufacturers. Along with being insulated to keep both hot and cold drinks at the right temperature, the bottom contains a storage container for stashing anything from cookies to chapstick.
The convenience of the Bindle Bottle led to a large following on social media and even landed it on Oprah’s list of favorite things in 2018.
“Never mind that these bottles keep drinks hot or cold. They actually stash keys, a credit card, and money in the hidden compartment at the bottom. Bye-bye, heavy-bag-schlepping!” Oprah remarked, per the Bindle Bottle website.
After being named on the list, the company saw its sales skyrocket, as its founders Houston Max and Charlie Crisan explained, per the website.
The company has since hit a snag, as Consumer Reports conducted tests on their product and uncovered two major health risks, as the nonprofit reported on February 10.
First, the bottles reportedly tested positive for high levels of lead.
Ashita Kapoor, Consumer Reports’ associate director of product safety and the overseer of the tests, asserted in the report that the Bindle Bottle exposed consumers to “lead levels that are approximately 1,100 times that of the levels legally allowed in many consumer products.”
The source of the lead was identified as a small area of soldering that seals the two compartments that comprise the bottle together. This means that any items placed in the storage compartment could potentially become contaminated with lead.
Second, some bottles tested positive for bisphenol A (BPA).
BPA was reportedly found in the colored powder coating in two of the three bottles tested by Consumer Reports, despite claims on Bindle Bottle’s website that its product is “100% BPA-Free.”
This substance is a chemical used in the manufacturing of plastics and has been associated with fertility problems and specific types of cancer.
As Kapoor explained, the powder coating comes in direct contact with consumers’ skin when they hold the bottle.
The Bindle Bottle responded to the Consumer Reports’ claims by issuing a voluntary recall a week later. On its website, the company asks its customers to stop using the storage compartments of its products — including those designed for pets — and to register for a free repair kit.
Consumer Reports responded to the company’s recall notice by pointing out that no refund was being offered to customers. The nonprofit noted that its team always recommends a full refund for any product that finds itself subject to a recall.
There has also been no mention of the presence of BPA detected by Consumer Reports. The nonprofit explained that Crisan had allegedly responded to this allegation in an email, claiming that the company’s own recent tests had not yielded positive results for BPA.
The Bindle Bottle company is now suspending the manufacturing of its products, the recall notice published by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration stated. After this overhaul of the production process, new products will have no risk of exposed lead.
No illnesses have been reported in connection with the use of the Bindle Bottle.
Nonetheless, exposure to lead can be significantly hazardous to someone’s health. Symptoms usually don’t appear until the levels of lead in the blood are dangerous, making it hard to detect, per the Mayo Clinic. At very high levels, the substance damages the nervous system and internal organs, sometimes causing seizures or death.
Children are especially at risk of suffering irreversible harm caused by exposure to lead, even at low levels. Brain and physical development might suffer.
Pets can be affected in the same ways if exposed to lead, so urgent treatment is required. Symptoms pointing to possible lead poisoning include vomiting, lethargy, seizures, and blindness, per PetMD.
I appreciate these type of articles.
They help to direct people’s attention to matters of substance.