Please read this entire post. Maybe by the end of it you will be as outraged as I have been by the actions of this company. – Thank you.
Original post title: Pura Kiki Follow Up #SurprisedNotSurprised.
To see more posts about the issues with this product and this company, click here.
Highlights of the Pura Kiki Saga:
- June 11, 2019 Update: I have not yet tested an insulated stainless steel baby bottle from this company that was in fact Lead-free. [Their non-insulated bottles are Lead-free.]
- The last leaded bottle I tested from this company was shipped to me in 2018 in the packaging with the “Made Safe Certified” branding indicating to the consumer that the product was Lead-free. It was not Lead free and, in fact, still had a sealing dot that was nearly solid Lead. You can read more about that and see my video of a Pura Kiki baby bottle with an exposed Leaded sealing dot at this link here.
- Pura indicated (in a July 2018 email to one of my readers) that they were still selling Leaded baby bottle stock as late as last summer, link to see the letter here.
- Made Safe never responded to my communications from summer 2018 requesting they remove their certification of the Pura Kiki baby bottles, given those baby bottles were still being sold with Leaded components.
Original Post (Sharing the Ongoing Findings of Lead in this Product)
Photos shared with permission.
Sunday, May 13, 2017 – Mothers’ Day
I’ve known about this for a couple of weeks now and was waiting to write about it because I wanted to make sure to do the issues justice and answer your questions before they are asked.
The featured image here is from a post in a parent-run group on Facebook called “The Lead (Pb) Group.” It was posted on April 30, 2017,
As might have been expected, even the “newer” stainless steel baby bottles manufactured by Pura Kiki have lead in the center dot underneath the bottom cap.
Pura Kiki has sent these newer bottles as replacement bottles to families and implying to their customers that these were the new /lead-free version of their insulated stainless baby bottle. (See the screenshots communications with Kim below.)
I previously blogged about this, noting that without dissecting the bottle I could not confirm if there was lead or not under the bottom cap, but I assumed (based on XRF testing that I had done to date) that it was possible (and something parents should keep an eye out for if their bottom cap fell off.)
This may be considered “safe” / “lead-safe” by the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) (as the CPSC obviously don’t have a concern for baby bottles with lead paint, I don’t imagine that they would be concerned about this.). However, as with the iPlay sippy cup disaster/fiasco, this again points to the need for SIGNIFICANT reform for product standards with the CPSC – especially lead in items intended for infants. The amount of lead acceptable in items intended for infants should be zero.
This also shows that we, as consumers CANNOT have confidence in the words, statements and promises of product manufacturers, even those that assert their “green-ness” as part of their marketing strategy. Granted, the companies were likely not aware of these issues until we brought it to their attention, and their suppliers are fundamentally at fault, BUT oversight of the suppliers and ongoing product quality monitoring (e.g. independent, random, ongoing testing/verification) ARE the responsibility of the manufacturer.
For #SaferChoices for your family, click here.
While the company’s apparent stance on the issue in this case is that the bottom cap is “not removed in ‘normal use’ of the product and therefore their product should not expose children to unsafe levels of lead” [and to be clear these center dots in most cases are 100% PURE LEAD , or close to that], they obviously have not done sufficient product testing!
Mothers across the country have reported to me that their bottom caps have fallen off in “normal use.”
Babies throw bottles.
Stainless bottles dent and bend in “normal” use – especially with babies, toddlers and children.
The deforming of the original factory shape of the bottle through “normal” use (by the demographic that it was intended to be used by) will – eventually (and apparently sooner rather than later) cause the bottle to deform enough that the bottom cap pops off, exposing the lead sealing dot.
Given these realities, there is no way this can be construed as not being “normal use,”
In my opinion the product is therefore not safe for children.
In my opinion, the company has also been backtracking on their public statements and misleading customers by sending them “new, replacement bottles” that also have lead. This is not the actions of responsible company making safe/ green products for use by children. A responsible company would have (regardless of CPSC regulations) issued a voluntary recall and removed any and all lead from their products intended for use as baby bottles.
While some might say that when the lead is exposed on the bottom of a sippy cup or bottle like this it still cannot pose a hazard to young children, I must vigorously disagree — and I have another story (from another parent) to share to illustrate this (which I will post later today.)
Any lead (especially pure lead) accessible in any form to a child is not acceptable on a product intended for children. As most mothers can attest, if a part of a product resembles a nipple, young children will touch and fondle it. This is natural, “instinctually-hard-wired” behavior. The indent on the bottom of a bottle falls in to that category. While holding the bottle a child is likely to touch and rub the exposed lead on the bottom; additionally, by it’s essential nature, lead can easily rub off and be introduced into their environment under other circumstances as well. This is especially concerning as it is product intended for use with ingestion of food.
My grade: a BIG FAT “F” – absolute FAIL!
This product is not okay, and by default I would not recommend the purchase of anything from this company at this time.
Please see the additional photos below.
Please note that this bottle (pictured on this post) is clearly by no means significantly deformed from use, the bottom popped off after MINIMAL use and minor denting (if any).
As always, I am happy to answer your questions.
I know it’s frustrating and exhausting, but – given the current systemic regulatory dysfunctionality in this country, it appears that increasingly, we alone (as consumers and as parents) are the de facto last standing bastion of accountability, and accordingly must find the courage and stamina to hold every consumer products manufacturer/importer/marketer accountable for keeping potent neurotoxicants out of our children’s products!
Takeaway and Actions:
- Scientific consensus: “There is NO safe level of lead” – not in a child’s blood, not in consumer products, not in the manufacturing process and not in the occupational environments of the workers who make these products.
- As consumers, you need to demand truly lead-free products for your children (regardless of typical corporate BS assurances that “we are in compliance with current [=lax, not enforced/”industry self-enforced” or non-existent] regulations”.)
- We need to actively petition the CPSC to change their guidelines for what they consider “acceptable” (in terms of the allowable amount of lead in an item intended for children.) [I’ll work on creating a petition and share it when I have it available!]. Again: The allowable amount of lead in an item intended for use by infants and toddlers should be an “absolute zero.”
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Sadly, if the past serves as any guide, I expect I may likely get some form of reflexive/defensive [or offensive] “shoot-the-messenger” strategic pushback from the company on this one. Please consider donating to my GoFundMe, as I specifically need to raise an additional $10,000 for a retainer for new members of my attorney team in the coming week. [You can also support my independent advocacy work at no cost to you by starting your Amazon shopping with a click through to Amazon from one of my affiliate links [you don’t even have to purchase the products I recommend for me to get a referral commission on what you purchase!]
Happy Mothers’ Day, everyone! Stay safe out there.
Sincerely,
Tamara Rubin
#LeadSafeMama
Mother of Lead Poisoned Children
Below is the initial note my friend Kim when she first informed the manufacturer that there was lead on her insulated stainless steel baby bottle and their response. The manfacturers note states that the lead was on a “discontinued” bottle — yet the bottle they sent her as a newer version/ replacement is the one pictured above – which still has lead [verified].
Kim’s initial inquiry note from February 1, 2017
This note was written to Kim on February 1, 2017 in response to her inquiry
Below is the follow up that Kim sent after she got the new “replacement” bottle they sent her — and the bottom fell off and again potentially exposed her child to raw / unsealed lead – and the company’s response. Again their response to her clearly has the promise and reassurances that future products will be “lead free”… but isn’t that essentially what was promised/implied above? With different wording? That the bottle she was being sent would not have lead?
This note was written to Kim after her April 30, 2017 response
to the company once she found her new bottle also had lead.
Hi Kim!
Thank you for your review! It’s a scary world out there…
Have you tested the munchkin 360 stainless cup?? I noticed a convex bump on the bottom of the interior of the cup and am concerned. Thank you!
I don’t know that I have tested that cup, sorry. I may have. There has never been lead on the interior of these (newly manufactured stainless bottles) the concern is only on the outside.
Hi. Actually doing a quick google search, I see another person posted that you had the chance to test some products in their home in January 2017 and the Munchkin 360 was listed though I can’t find the site I saw that on now.
When you look into the interior of this cup, there is actually a bump on the interior bottom. If you look on the bottom of the cup, there appears to be a metal circle on the bottom. So my question, if you did test, did you do it with the cup intact or with the metal circle taken off?
Also, do all insulated cups have lead sealing/solder points? I’ve sent emails to various companies and they tell me they only use vacuum seal no filler, they only use stainless steel fill, etc. I just don’t know what to believe and am getting frustrated not knowing what to give my kids.
So the non insulated ones don’t have lead solder so they are safe, correct?
That is correct! The non-insulated ones do not have lead. However I am disappointed by this company that they are still distributing their stock of insulated ones when they know they have lead.
Thank you for the clarification! We have a non insulated one. And I spent hours researching the best stainless steel and silicone straw cup for my son because I didn’t want any plastic. It was very hard to find a good one. So I’m glad we can keep using it!
i have the insulated bottle but it does not have a joint that can come off! bought this after much research but disappointed to read this.
Did the non-insulated ones ever have lead in the past? Like ~6 years ago?
I don’t think so.
Thank you so much for this post! I really appreciate all the work you are doing to spread the word!
I was wondering if you had the chance to test the Pura Kiki painted non-insulated toddler bottle? I purchased a pink painted one for my daughter last year in September 2016. This painted version is apparently discontinued now. They claimed that it’s non-toxic paint… not dishwasher safe, but after reading your article, I’m loosing my confidence in manufacture’s word.
Do you know if the bottles being sold now have lead in them? Some time has passed since this post.
Last I knew they still did, I have not heard or seen otherwise. I think the company perceives it as a regulatory loophole and has a public statement that the lead is inaccessible and so it is allowed. I would very much like to test some new stock of their product and hopefully they have changed!
Hi,
Read this to my horror. Although my kids are beyond the hand-mouth stage, we’ve been putting steel cups with exposed lead solder dots in our dishwasher with other dishes and cutlery. Does that mean that the lead has been contaminating all of our dishes? Have our kids been exposed to lead residue on dishes, knives, forks, and so on. How concerned should I be about this?
Hi ,
Just wondering if you have tested the stainless steel munchkin 360 cup . I noticed the convos bump on the inside of the cup and was curious if it had lead .
The Pura Kiki non insulated also has the convex bump on the inside. Is it safe??
Also , do you know if the green sprout glass sippys are safe to use if there is no paint markings on the outside of the glass? Curious as to if there’s lead on the greensprout logo on the outside of the plastic part too that holds the glass in place ?
Hello Tamara,
Another horrified reader and follower here! It incenses me that Pura can dance around the truth, and that Pura products are certified by Made Safe. The Made Safe manifesto states “We take a look at how items are made, where they are sourced, and scour the manufacturing process for possible contamination points in order to determine if the ingredients or materials in a product are safe”. How did Made Safe miss the lead in Pura products? Pura has to know what the manufacturing process is and what all of the components of its products are. How can we trust Pura and the Made Safe certification process?
***Has anyone contacted Made Safe? If so, what was the response? It would be worth asking Made Safe about cadmium in the Pura silicone caps, spouts, and nipples. Tamara, the polypropylene straw tested positive for cadmium? Did the silicone sleeve?
I have THREE insulated Pura bottles, a 28 oz. Pura Sport bottle that my child has used as a water bottle for school, a 9 oz. Pura Toddler bottle, and a Pura Kiki. The Pura Sport seems to have a disc inside and outside the bottle that may have solder between it and the two layers of stainless steel. The Pura Toddler bottle has a cap-like bottom, a piece that is separate from the outer layer of stainless steel. I wouldn’t be surprised if there is a leaded sealing dot underneath this bottom component. Although neither bottle is damaged to the point that I would suspect lead to be exposed or leaching from the bottles, I am demanding a refund from Pura for the both. I don’t want lead in products intended for storing and/or serving food and/or beverages.
I bought the Pura Kiki as a baby shower gift. It doesn’t have the cap-like bottom that the Pura Toddler has, but the inner layer of stainless steel has an indentation at the bottom. I am so disgusted by Pura that I am compelled to ask for a refund from the distributor, rather than from Pura. I bought it much more recently. I’m glad I didn’t mail the gift yet.
***Has anyone who has bought an insulated Pura stainless steel bottle from a distributor that has online product reviews tried to post a review? I bought from a distributor that does not post customers’ reviews on its website.
I have a Safe Sippy cup that is circa 2009. It is insulated cup. Its construction seems to be similar to that of the Pura insulated bottles. It has a separate cap on the bottom. I’m calling into question whether it might have a leaded sealing dot, too.
Thank you for this thorough comment! It’s exactly how I feel about the situation! I will send you an e-mail response shortly too!
Is it ok to use it if the cap covering the solder dint come off? I have a insulated sports bottle.
My concern is that (based on parent reports so far) the cap can come off at any time, and your baby could play with the dimple – which is solid lead. If you always watch the use of the bottle like a hawk and the cap doesn’t come off – then sure – it’s fine. I am also concerned about the false advertising by the company’s relationship with Made Safe – that implies the bottle is lead-free.
I am disappointed with false advertising as well , I am using this insulated bottle occasionally and with no access to my kid .I will definitely switch if there is a safer alternative.
I was just washing my sons insulated pura bottle and the bottom just came right off when I was trying to remove the bumper! I posted review on amazon not to buy insulated and will be contacting the company because this is ridiculous! I went from uninsulated (did extensive research) to insulated when had 2nd son and failed as a mom to look into before I did only because I trusted that since the uninsulated was so great that why wouldn’t the insulated be just as great and not be harmful to my kids! How can the company sleep at night! I’m now worried that since I was Washing them by hand and letting soak that maybe the lead got on other things when doing so over time! Is this possible? Where can I get a lead check pen?!
Thank you so much for this information. I was wondering if you know if the Pura bottles have since been fully corrected to not contain lead? I have not found any additional resources or information regarding the lead concerns since 2017.
Thanks so much!
Hi there – I don’t have any updated information. I don’t believe they ever issued a recall and I don’t know if they ever fixed their product.
Tamara
Hello all I have an update!
Great info. I was concerned about this as well until I looked into it.
After research and testing, I discovered that 2017 was the last year Pura used any lead in the solder, they have since moved to lead-free solder. Also, their non-insulated bottles also have no solder. My son dropped the bottle repeatedly and the bottom cap eventually came off. I tested the insulated bottom and it is good now 🙂 All of their products are also madesafe certified, and it seems to truly be a third party testing compnay. My confidence has been restored in them. Hope this helps!
-W
In fact I purchased some as recently as 2018. These examples had the “Made Safe” certification on the package yet they were still positive for high levels of Lead. We were told that they had mass manufactured a huge quantity and would continue to sell them (the leaded products) with the MADE SAFE packaging until they sold their existing inventory. They never issued a recall. They never informed the public. Made Safe knew about the issue and did not revoke their certification for these known-to-be-leaded products. I would not trust either Made Safe or Pura as a result of their behavior related to this issue.
Hello,
Can you tell me if Mikasa White Swirl dishes are lead free?
Thank you,
Rita
can you test current Kiki’s? I have two, but they do not have removeable bottoms. Thanks!
Any tests on current pura kiki?