Dangerous Caps on Kid-oriented Beverage Containers

The container caps on kid-oriented beverage containers seem to have safety problem including the risk of suffocation. For example, the valves on Push-pull caps can come out, and soft dust caps also can be swallowed by children, which can cause choking. In addition, twist caps do not fully cover sucking tubes, which has the risk of possible contamination of beverage with hazardous substances.

The Korea Consumer Agency (KCA) released the above results after conducting a study on the injury and labeling status of kid-oriented beverage products widely sold in the market, and said that the safety of beverage containers and labeling on them should be improved quickly.

□ Valves of Push-pull Caps and Dust Caps Can Cause Suffocation 

The dust caps (2.3Cm in diameter), used to protect the push-pull caps, are made of polypropylene. Children often open dust caps with their mouths or put them inside their mouths, being exposed to the risk of choking. Also, if the valves (2.1Cm in diameter, 1.5Cm length) of the caps are falling out while children are sucking them, they can cause suffocation by obstructing the airway.  

Meanwhile, kids also hurt when their tongues or inner mouths stuck within the container mouth while sucking the drinks. The injury is often caused by different air pressure between inside of the mouths and inside the containers.

Push-pull Cap (Dust Cap + Valve)    Twist Cap (Exposed Area)  
□ Containers with Push-pull Caps, Recalled Many Times in Other Countries

Kids Beverage products contained in bottles with push & pull caps have been recalled not a few times in other countries. In particular, one kid-oriented beverage was recently recalled in the U.K because the caps of the containers can be easily broken which shows strict safety management of the British government.

< Overseas Product Recall Cases >

1. In Aug, 2007, ASDA in the U.K. recalled 115,000 bottles of beverage produced in China because of the possibility of caps’ tearing.
2. In 2005, Bradshaw International in the U.S. recalled 500,000 made-in-China beverage products in the wake of an accident that a little girl almost swallowed a valve which came out of a pull-up cap of the product.
3. In Sep, 2003, CCDA in the U.S. carried out voluntary recall of its products because of the risk of suffocation with their push-pull caps.
4. In 2002, Australia’s Portara recalled its juice products after a choking accident had occurred.

□ Insufficient Indication of Warnings on Product Labels

When the KCA randomly collected and inspected 16 types of kid beverage products being sold in the market, only 3 out of 12 products with push-pull caps were indicating the risk that containers can be broken or caps may fall out. Also, none of the 12 products had a warning on the possible suffocation caused by caps.

Character Cap Products

Meanwhile, among the 4 character capped-products (see the above picture), only 1 product had a warning —“not proper for children younger than 3 years old”—on the label, and some product had no warnings on such risk at all.

The KCA is planning to ask the relevant authorities to improve the container shapes and labeling to prevent possible accidents. Also, the Agency asked consumers to be careful and well aware of the risks of kid-oriented beverage containers.

1. Try to finish beverage products as soon as possible after opening the bottles.
2. Warn Children not to open the containers with mouths or play with the caps inside the mouths.
3. Pay attention to infants to check if they put the character caps inside their mouths.
4. Warn the children not to play and run with the bottle caps inside their mouths.
5. If a chocking accident occurs, let the person lie down on the floor, and press with hands the area between the belly button and ribs. If it does not work, practice artificial respiration on the person.
6. When drinking beverage in twist capped products, check if the sucking tubes are not polluted.

   

 Oct 12, 2007 [Consumer Safety Department]