Baby Bottles 'Unintentionally' Sold In US Via Amazon Recalled Over Lead Content

A company is recalling its glass baby bottles due to their lead content. The products were for the U.K. market but were "unintentionally" sold in the U.S. and Canada via Amazon.

The problem with the NUK First Choice 240 mL Glass Baby Bottles is that the markings outside of them contain lead that "exceeds the federal lead content ban," according to the announcement on the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) website.

This may cause adverse health issues if ingested by young children, the agency noted. As the World Health Organization explained, children tend to absorb four to five times as much lead as adults do "from a given source."

The products, however, weren't even supposed to be sold in the U.S. They were intended for the U.K. market but were "unintentionally" sold to the U.S. and Canada via Amazon.com through a third-party seller, the company noted.

"Our products are rigorously and routinely tested for consumer safety and are in full compliance with industry standards set by different global regions," the company explained, noting that the products included in the recall were compliant with the U.K. regulations, which are different from the ones in North America. "The U.S. tests and regulates for overall lead content levels on the bottle while in the U.K., they test and regulate for lead migration, meaning they test to make sure the lead stays put on the bottle, that it does not leach and cannot be absorbed during use."

The recall affects the NUK-branded First Choice glass baby bottles (ASIN B0027SVJ9O) with teats for infants aged zero to six months. The company has listed the six properties that the bottle "must meet" to be determined as a part of the recall: the product was bought "exclusively through Amazon.com," the bottle is made of glass, the markings outside are white and gray stars, the brand name NUK is in white, the nipple is latex and the size is 240 millileters.

Photos of the bottles are available on the company's as well as the CPSC's websites.

"This recall is only for the glass bottle described above and sold by Amazon's third-party seller, Astir Care," the company noted. "No other bottles are included in this recall."

About 100 of the bottles were sold in the U.S. while 77 were sold in Canada. The third-party seller on Amazon, Astir Care, is contacting known buyers, but those who have verified that their NUK bottles are included in the recall may contact the company at 888-685-1238 or by completing the form on their website to return the bottle and get a refund.

"We encourage U.S. consumers who purchased these bottles from Astir Care or Amazon to immediately stop using the bottles," the company noted. "The CPSC and NUK are requiring that the affected bottle be returned to eliminate any future exposure to the lead. NUK is committed to the safety of those who use and love our products and we sincerely apologize to those who may have experienced any inconvenience."