Several baby bottle manufacturers were slapped with a billion dollar class-action lawsuit that claimed their bottles leaked a dangerous substance into their contents under certain conditions.
The suit was filed by attorney Robert Weiss on the behalf of Californian babies who may have been injured as a result of drinking out of plastic bottles containing Bisphenol-A, a toxic chemical.
Bisphenol-A
This chemical, also known as BPA, used in making plastic food and drink packaging, is known to cause hormonal and neurological damage to lab animals.
Gerber, Evenflo, Avent, Dr. Brown’s and Playtex use the chemical in the manufacturing of their plastic sippy cups and baby bottles.
The Hazard
Scientists discovered that BPA leaked off of the hard plastic and into the liquid contained inside when the bottles were heated – as parents often do when feeding their babies formula or breast milk – or cleaned with harsh detergents.
Environmental experts continue to question whether there is a link between BPA, cancer, autism, diabetes, obesity and early puberty.
Rachel Gibson, Environment California, recommend that consumers use bottles made of glass or other types of plastic. She also advised that consumers don’t heat drinks or food in plastic containers or clean them with hot water and harsh dishwashing detergents because these practices can increase the rate of BPA leeching, according to Gibson.
“Currently manufacturers do not have to label their products contain BPA,” said Weiss. “We are going to change that. Parents should know what they are putting in their baby’s mouth. This is disgraceful and we are going to force these manufacturers to be held to a higher standard.”