Investigation and pending class action lawsuits against Handi-Craft Company, Avent America, Inc., Philips Electronics North America Corp., Gerber Products Company, Handi-Craft Company, Nalge Nunc International Corp, and Playtex Products, Inc. on behalf of purchasers of plastic baby bottles and trainer "sippy" cups which contained the chemical bisphenol A ("BPA") from May, 2003, through the present.
The class action lawsuits allege that Handi-Craft Company, Avent America, Inc., Philips Electronics North America Corp., Gerber Products Company, Handi-Craft Company, Nalge Nunc International Corp, and Playtex Products, Inc manufactured, distributed, marketed, tested and/or sold hazardous baby products containing BPA, which is an endocrine disruptor and an estrogen receptor agonist which has been linked by lab studies to a variety of reproductive effects in animals. The investigation is ongoing and encompasses plastic baby bottles and "sippy" cups that may leach BPA into liquids.
This investigation includes products sold under the following brand names, among others: Avent, Dr. Brown's, Evenflo, Gerber, and Playtex.
BPA has been called a "developmental, neural, and reproductive toxicant."
Defendant Details
Name (Stock Symbol)
Brief Description
Handi-Craft Company
Handi-Craft Company manufactures the Dr. Brown line of baby products.
Avent America, Inc.
Avent America Inc. develops and manufactures infant and toddler feeding products. It offers breastfeeding products, such as electronic breast pumps, manual breast pumps, breast milk storage sets, breastfeeding accessories, breast pump accessories, and niplette; and bottle feeding products, including natural feeding bottle, temp natural feeding nurser, tempo wide pre-formed lines, anti-colic nipple, bottle trainer kits, formula/snack dispensers, feeding sets, and bottle accessories. In 2006, Phillips acquired Aventis America Inc. and its parent company.
Philips Electronics North America Corp.
Philips Electronics North America Corp., a subsidiary of Philips, markets, brands, distributes and sells Philips products in North America.
Gerber Products Company
Gerber Products Company manufactures baby food. It is owned by Nestle.
Nalgene Nunc International Corporation
Nalgene Nunc International Corporation, a subsidiary of Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., designs, develops, and manufactures plastic products for use in laboratory, packaging, environmental, biotech and life science applications.
Playtex Products, Inc.
Playtex Products, Inc. manufactures feminine products, and other consumer products.