BPA Class Action Settlement Reached Over Avent Baby Bottles, Cups

Phillips Electronics Corporation of America has reached a settlement agreement in a Bisphenol-A (BPA) class action lawsuit over Avent brand baby bottles and sippy cups. 

The BPA settlement was announced earlier this month, although the exact amount of any payment has not been disclosed. Some of the terms have been released and include an agreement by Phillips to give a voucher or refund to anyone who bought an Avent baby bottle or sippy cup.

Plaintiff attorneys are calling the settlement a “landmark” moment in BPA litigation, as it is the first time a company has settled over allegations that they failed to warn consumers of the health risks of associated with the chemical.

BPA is used to make many plastic products hard and shatterproof. Originally developed as a form of synthetic estrogen, it is used in the manufacture of many consumer products, such as bottles, cups, can liners, baby products and other food containers.

Exposure to BPA is suspected of causing hormonal changes by impacting the human endocrine system. It has also been linked to cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. Some prior research has also suggested that BPA side effects can cause developmental abnormalities and other problems over time in infants and young children.

Last year, the FDA recommended that parents take “reasonable steps” to reduce infant exposure to BPA. The federal regulatory agency is currently conducting a re-evaluation of the safety of BPA, after previously indicating that exposure to the levels used in consumer products is safe. The new review was initiated in June 2009 after the FDA received substantial criticism from outside groups, politicians and its own scientists.

Many retailers, such as Wal-Mart and Toys “R” Us, have already voluntarily decided to stop selling certain baby products that contain BPA, and several states have moved to ban the use of BPA in infant products.