Hundreds of thousands of children’s cups recalled across the US over fears they could cause LEAD POISONING

Hundreds of thousands of children’s cups sold nationwide have been recalled after they were found to contain unsafe levels of lead.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission issued the recall Thursday for around 346,000 CUPKIN double-walled stainless steel cups.

The agency said the cups have levels of lead that ‘exceed the federal lead content ban.’

If ingested by young children, lead is toxic and can lead to hampered brain and nervous system development. 

The baby industry has been under pressure to strip out harmful contaminants from products, but a recent investigation by a consumer watchdog found many baby food products contain higher levels of toxic metals now than they did five years ago.

Consumers were warned to ‘immediately take the cups away from children 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 around $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.

On the front bottom of the cups is the word ‘Cupkin’.

It is not clear exactly where the lead is in the product, but since 2009, the Consumer Product Safety Commissionall children’s products must not contain a lead concentration of more than 0.009 percent (90 parts per million) in paint or any similar surface coatings.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warns young children exposed to lead can suffer hampered brain and nervous system development.

Experts believe that around 2.5 percent of children under the age of five have been exposed to dangerous levels of lead.

As a result, they may have slowed growth, learning, behavior, hearing and speech issues.

The effects of lead exposure can be permanent.

Lead is toxic to kids starting at about 10 mcg/dl. According to the CDC, no safe level of lead has been identified in kids. 

Lead poisoning happens when lead accumulates in the body, usually over months or years.

Even small amounts of lead can result in 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 can also be vomiting, constipation, hearing loss and seizures.

Amazon and Soojimus, the maker of the cups, are contacting all known purchasers 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 getting a blood test for your child if they may have been exposed to lead.

A study published last year by researchers at Florida State University found that lead poisoning has robbed Americans of 2.6 IQ points each on average, usually from gasoline.