Detergent Pods Pose New Public Health Hazard

Colorful laundry detergent pods – sometimes mistaken for candy by young children – are emerging as a public health hazard, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The CDC’s report found that the pods were involved in nearly half of the 1,008 cases of detergent poisoning reported during a 30-day stretch last summer, according to ABC News.

The report also says that 94 percent of the detergent poisonings involved kids younger than six years of age. Those who consumed the pods fell more seriously ill when compared to those who consumed detergent in any other form.

Proctor & Gamble—maker of a popular detergent pod—recently introduced a double-latch lid and a larger warning label on the container to make it child-proof. However, the company has not recalled the old plastic containers, which are still available in stores.

ABC News reports that other manufacturers did not respond to its requests for information on their own childproof packaging for detergent pods.

Until stronger measures are taken by the manufacturers or regulators, parents will need to keep a vigil on their kids by keeping detergent pods out of their reach.

If you or a loved one has been harmed with an unsafe product, contact Sokolove Law today for a free legal consultation and to find out if a product liability lawyer may be able to help you.

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