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Lead Concerns Prompt Voluntary Bindle Bottle Recall

The bottles in question were sold in the promo products market, as well as at bindlebottle.com, amazon.com, and in retail stores.

Bindle Bottle (asi/40548), a California-based promo products supplier, has issued a voluntary recall on reusable bottles it sold because they may contain an area of exposed lead in their bottom storage compartments, according to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA).

The bottles were sold to promotional products distributors. They also sold at bindlebottle.com, amazon.com, and in retail stores. The affected product comes in 32 oz., 24 oz., 20 oz., and 13 oz. sizes. Bindle Bottle is also recalling the 24 oz. bottle that’s part of its Puppy Pack.

In a statement, Bindle Bottle elaborated that the dry storage container in the bottom of the bottle has a dot of finishing solder that may contain excess amounts of lead. This potentially poses an exposure risk to lead if unpackaged food is placed in the compartment. The compartment can be used to carry everything from keys and cash to snacks.

“Unpackaged food stored in the bottom storage compartment of the bottle may have been adulterated by the lead and could pose health problems to people or animals eating that adulterated food,” the FDA said in a statement.

No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with the bottles, the FDA reported.   

High levels of lead in the blood can cause damage to the nervous system and internal organs. Acute lead poisoning can lead to anything from abdominal pain and muscle weakness, to nausea, diarrhea, weight loss, bloody urine and decreased urinary output.

“Bindle Bottle knows that you have placed your trust in us and we take our customers’ safety seriously,” the company said in a statement. “We sincerely apologize to you for the inconvenience of this voluntary recall. At Bindle Bottle, we pride ourselves on placing safety first and we will continue to stand behind our product line.”

The FDA said that production of Bindle Bottles has been suspended and will be overhauled going forward, “eliminating the presence of exposed lead anywhere on future products.”

As part of the recall, consumers who purchased a Bindle Bottle are eligible to receive at-home repair kits. Consumers with questions may contact the company at product_safety@bindlebottle.com.

Houston Max Buehrle, co-founder of Bindle Bottle, told ASI Media that the company is “working diligently with our independent laboratory and the FDA to finalize the repair kit and get it out to consumers. The health and safety of our customers is our top priority.”

The FDA said that Bindle Bottle tested the bottles after concerns were raised by Consumer Reports and Lead Safe Mama, LLC, a Portland, OR-based woman-owned small business for consumer goods safety and childhood lead poisoning prevention. Test results showed that the 0.4-inch diameter soldering dot contained lead – a problem caused by a lack of a cover or barrier to the exposed soldering dot, according to the FDA.