Introduction (for those new to this website):
Tamara Rubin is a federal-award-winning independent advocate for consumer goods safety and a documentary filmmaker. She is also a mother of Lead-poisoned children, her sons were acutely Lead-poisoned in 2005. Since 2009 Tamara has been using XRF testing (a scientific method used by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission) to test consumer goods for toxicants (specifically heavy metals), including Lead, Cadmium, Mercury, Antimony, and Arsenic. All test results reported on this website are science-based, accurate, and replicable. Items are tested multiple times, to confirm the test results for each component. Tamara’s work was featured in Consumer Reports Magazine in February of 2023.
Much of the independent consumer goods testing I do is with the help of my followers and friends on Facebook. In fact, the followers who help me with this work usually end up becoming my friends! We are partners in this advocacy actually, with the same goal: protecting kiddos from sources of possible environmental toxicity exposure.
One of my followers (who has since become a good friend) brought the issue of the possibility of high levels of lead in Hevea baby bottles to my attention towards the end of 2017.
Another follower then ordered one of the bottles and had it sent to me directly from Amazon in early 2018. I followed up with additional testing in early 2018 and confirmed that, in fact, these bottles did have high levels of lead in the paint.
We contacted the company and they sent us a sample from their new stock (“fixed”/lead-free product) to test (direct from Europe).
The fact that they had fixed the product and had new lead-free stock at the ready to send me was a clear indicator that they were aware of the problem and had remedied it by making changes with their suppliers – including changing the country of manufacture and changing the paint used for the markings on the product.
However, we learned through this process that the company did not issue a recall for their old product even though they were fully aware the paint contained very high levels of lead (as high as 27,000 parts per million on the logo).
Please share this with all of the new moms you know, as they may still have the old leaded Hevea baby bottles in their possession. Thank you.
Click here to share this post on Facebook.
To reiterate: no recall (mandatory or voluntary, corporate or government) was made for the leaded version of this brand of baby bottle.
Please scroll down to the bottom of the post to see the full infographic with the comparisons between the leaded and lead-free versions of this brand of baby bottle.
The amount of lead that is considered toxic in a newly manufactured item made and/or sold for use by children in the United States is 90 ppm lead or higher in the paint or coating and 100 ppm or higher in the substrate.
Both XRF testing and reactive agent testing were used to confirm the presence (and levels) of lead on this product.
Click here to learn more about the testing methodologies I use.
Bottles from this brand that are painted with Lead-painted markings were sold as recently as this year (2018) on Amazon and via other outlets (internet & “brick & mortar”).
Here’s an affiliate link to see this brand for sale on Amazon.*
It looks like they have finally (October 2018) removed the leaded versions of this bottle from all Amazon listings.
If you do see a 5 oz (leaded)* version of this bottle listed for sale online, please post the link to the product in a comment on this post so other parents can be made aware if they are still available for sale.
*Please note (in the infographic below) the different shapes of the bottle with the Lead-painted markings vs. the bottle with the lead-free painted markings.
This is not the only brand of baby-feeding glass product (baby food jar or baby bottle) that we found recently to be painted with lead paint. Please click here to see more posts related to this concern.
As always, thank you for reading and for sharing my posts.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Tamara Rubin
#LeadSafeMama
Click here to make a contribution in support of my lead poisoning prevention advocacy work (and independent consumer goods testing!)
Justone Lead-Soldier says
This bottle for sale on Amazon UK looks like the leaded version:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hevea-Baby-bottle-glass-star/dp/B01GGL4BLK/ref=sr_1_5_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1546984827&sr=8-5&keywords=hevea%2Bglass%2Bbaby%2Bbottle&th=1
Tamara says
Yes – it does!
T
Jennifer says
What about the 9 oz bottles? Are those also now lead-free?
Tamara says
I think it depends on the bottle shape (which is indicative of the year of manufacture), Jennifer.
– Tamara
Mya says
Did you test the rubber part as well? I have a rubber part from them also made in Malaysia.
H Penner says
Was the new product that you were sent completely lead free including the rubber nipple? Looking at getting the newer version or the quoddle bottle. Thanks for all the work that you do!
Tamara says
I believe so.
Audi says
We just got HEVEA Baby Glass Bottle 2-Pack Eco-Friendly, BPA-Free & FDA Approved (8 oz. / 240 ml)
The glass bottle is manufactured in Germany and the natural rubber teats are made in Malaysia, where the natural rubber is harvested from the rubber trees “Hevea Brasiliensis” 2020.
From Amazon Canada
Is it safe for baby ?
Tamara says
If it is the newer model (per the info graphic) – it should be safe. If it is the older model it is likely painted with lead paint.
Chanell says
Hi, I hope this reaches you!
I noticed Zak! Stainless and ceramic toddler cups on your do not buy list, but cannot find any testing done on any of their cups aside from one mug. Nor can I find any information elsewhere on the web other than one amazon comment about a home test, which you say are unreliable.
Have you tested the stainless steel toddler tumblers? Can you confirm for me whether or not the kelso stainless tumblers from this brand contain lead, and in what part?
Thanks!
Tamara says
Zak is a brand to avoid across the board.
Chanell says
Maybe so, but my toddler recieved two maybe a year ago as a gift. I just wanted to know if they were safe and if you had any further information on them, especially regarding the external paint.
I have found that they are very likely to have a lead sauter button, but even enduring abuse, both are still safely covered by a stainless inlaid cover.
For what reasons (aside from the inclusion of the lead sauter) is Zak a “completey avoid” brand? I am not up to date.
Thanks cont. Lol
Tamara says
Look through their products here on my site. Several violations for which they were not cited.
https://tamararubin.com/category/zak-designs/
I am working on reporting them to the Consumer Product Safety Commission.
T
Lina says
It looks like Hevea bottles are also produced in Czechia. Do you know if these bottles were tested/ safe as the ones manufactured in Germany? https://www.smallable.com/en/product/medium-flow-wide-neck-glass-bottle-with-protective-sleeve-sand-hevea-334620
Thank you for your work also