Lawsuits claim popular baby bottle brands leach microplastics

By Diana Novak Jones June 25 (Reuters) - Two makers of plastic baby bottles were hit with proposed class actions in California federal court on Tuesday over claims that they failed to warn parents that the bottles leached dangerous microplastics when heated. The lawsuits against Philips North America and Handi-Craft Company, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, say the companies knew their popular bottles would be heated as part of regular use. The lawsuits claim that the companies failed to warn parents that the polypropylene bottles and cups under the brands Philips Avent and Handi-Craft’s Dr. Brown, when heated, could expose infants to tiny flecks of plastic that can interfere with their digestive, reproductive and immune systems. Representatives for Philips and Handi-Craft did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The lawsuits say both companies advertise that their products are “BPA free,” or free of Bisphenol A, a chemical known to leach from some plastics when they are heated. By assuring customers that the products are BPA free, the companies are creating a false sense of security and misleading consumers about the dangers of their products, which leach microplastics into the liquids the cups and bottles contain, the lawsuits claim. “The science regarding microplastics (is) particularly concerning with regard to babies and infants,” Shireen Clarkson, one of the attorneys representing the plaintiffs, told Reuters. The plaintiffs are California residents and are seeking to represent both classes covering California purchasers and nationwide purchasers of the products. They’re seeking damages and an injunction barring the sale of the products and marketing that implies they are safe. The lawsuits are Tuliisa Miller et al v. Philips North America LLC, case number 3:24-cv-03781, and Alejandrina Cortez et al v. Handi-Craft Company Inc, case number 3:24-cv-03782, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. For the plaintiffs: Ryan Clarkson, Bahar Sodaify, Kelsey Elling and Alan Gudino of the Clarkson Law Firm For Philips North America: Unknown For Handi-Craft: Unknown