CANADIAN NEWS May 29, 2024
More Than 40 People Sickened by Contaminated Tumblers
Top 40 supplier Sunscope, which sourced the drinkware that was then sold to NÜTRL Canada by Top 40 distributor Staples Promotional Products Canada, has received reports of consumers experiencing a slew of physical symptoms, including headaches, nausea and abdominal pain.
More details are coming out about contaminated promotional tumblers, as part of an official Health Canada recall that’s effective nationwide.
Top 40 supplier Sunscope (asi/90075), based in Southern California, issued a voluntary recall last week for 30-oz. tumblers it had sourced from China that were then given away at wine and spirits stores across the country between April 29 and May 17 of this year.
A contaminant trapped inside the tumbler’s insulation seems to be causing physical illness. So far, Sunscope has been made aware of 43 consumers who’ve experienced symptoms. The drinkware was given away as a gift-with-purchase at alcohol retailers across Canada.
Top 40 distributor Staples Promotional Products (asi/120601) in Canada sold the drinkware to vodka-seltzer company NÜTRL Canada as gifts-with-purchase for customers of select beverages at retailers, including Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) and Newfoundland and Labrador Liquor Corporation (NLC) locations. It’s believed that about 33,000 tumblers are impacted.
Based on testing by Sunscope, it appears that the tumblers may contain a chemical trapped inside the insulation that contains sulfuric and phosphoric acids, which could potentially be released into drinks and consumed when the drinkware is filled with liquid. In addition, the contact between the tumbler and the chemical could result in elevated levels of iron, chromium and nickel.
Health Canada says ingestion of these substances may result in burning of the lips, tongue, throat, stomach, and/or other tissue damage, as well as nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps and diarrhea. Skin contact has been known to cause redness, blisters, burns and pain.
As of May 23, Sunscope was made aware of 43 reports of consumers experiencing physical symptoms and illness, including headache, nausea, cramping and/or abdominal pain, and diarrhea, after drinking from the tumblers.
Neither Sunscope nor Staples had responded to requests for comment at the time of this writing. “Consumer safety is our top priority,” stated NÜTRL Canada in a release on May 23. “Together with Sunscope and their distributor Staples Promotional Products Canada, we are working with Health Canada to proactively notify consumers.”
Customers who received a tumbler should immediately stop using it and call (866) 846-1778 or email nutrltumblerca@sedgwick.com for more information. Anyone experiencing symptoms of illness should seek medical attention.