The federal government has issued a recall for a child’s water bottle sold only at L.L.Bean because of concerns about lead in the exterior base of the bottles.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission issued the voluntary recall Tuesday for five styles of kids’ insulated water bottles with printed graphics. The bottles are 13.5 ounces capacity with the following color prints: Dino Bones, Flower Power, Orange Grid camo, Purple Tie Dye Butterfly and Robo Shark.
The bottles, made in China and distributed by a Spokane, Washington, company, have high levels of lead in the solder at the exterior base of the bottle. Lead is toxic if ingested by young children and can cause adverse health issues, according to the CPSC recall. No injuries or incidents have been reported as a result of exposure to the bottles.
Freeport-based outfitter L.L.Bean is offering a full refund on the bottles, which have been available since the fall of 2015. About 6,700 of the bottles were sold.
The retailer said routine testing by the manufacturer resulted in a positive reading for the presence of lead on the outside bottom of the bottle where the outer vacuum layer is sealed.
“The product was designed specifically to be lead-free and initial testing confirmed that this was the case,” said L.L.Bean spokeswoman Carolyn Beem in a statement. “The manufacturer’s ongoing quality testing subsequently indicated some of the bottles contained lead in the solder plug on the bottom exterior. When this was discovered, the manufacturer recalled all of the bottles.”
Beem said the primary concern with the product is that a child may access the lead, not that the lead would leach into the contents of the bottle interior or anything else.
“We sincerely regret disappointing our customers,” she said.
The retailer mailed letters to its customers notifying them of the recall and enclosed a prepaid mailer to return the water bottle.
The item identification number 297684 is printed on a sticker on the bottom of the recalled water bottles. Also printed on the sticker are “PO#844” and “BB2D2-LLB-R45-0413.”
Consumers can contact L.L.Bean at 800-555-9717 from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., or online at www.llbean.com and click on “Recall & Safety Info” for more information.
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