Senators Say Industry Should be Doing More to Address Dangers of Detergent Packets
Study shows troubling trends in frequency and severity of poisonings among children
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Bill Nelson (D-FL), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) today called on The Procter & Gamble Company (P&G), along with other manufacturers of detergent packets, to do more to address the dangers to children of detergent packets outlined in a recent study published by the American Academy of Pediatrics official journal on Monday.
Last year, the standards-setting organization ASTM International convened manufacturers including P&G, which makes 80% of the laundry detergent packets on the market, and consumer protection stakeholders to develop voluntary safety standards for laundry detergent packets. The new agreed-upon standards are voluntary, with some changes reportedly taking effect in P&G’s products entering the market in May 2016, and include measures to improve opaque packaging, capsule integrity and aversive agents. Several key provisions – such as the composition and toxicity of packets – favored by consumer groups were not included in the voluntary standards.
“We are concerned that the provisions that were not adopted as part of the ASTM standard remain as significant threats to children, as underscored by the Pediatrics study,” wrote the Senators. “Therefore, we urge you to comply with all elements of the ASTM voluntary safety standard across all of your detergent packet products and commit to join with stakeholders to re-evaluate the standard to address the unmet safeguards that pose specific risks as identified in the recent study, including: chemical composition and concentration to reduce toxicity; outer package warnings and child-proof measures; and design, color, and fragrance to reduce the appeal to young children.”
The study reviewed 62,254 incidents, reported to poison control centers, of exposure to laundry and dishwasher detergents among children younger than 6 years old. The researchers found that among laundry and dishwasher detergent packets and non-packets (four categories) the incidence and severity of exposure by young children was highest in laundry detergent packets. Between 2013 and 2014, the number of exposures to laundry detergent packets among young children increased by 17 percent. Children poisoned by laundry detergent packets had higher odds of having serious medical outcomes – such as coma, cardiac arrest, respiratory arrest, and death.
April 27, 2016
David S. Taylor
President and CEO
The Procter & Gamble Company
1 P&G Plaza
Cincinnati, OH 45202
Dear Mr. Taylor:
We write today out of deep concern for the safety of young children being exposed to laundry detergent packets.
A study was published on April 25, 2016, in Pediatrics (the official journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics) titled, “Pediatric Exposures to Laundry and Dishwasher Detergents in the United States: 2013-2014.” This study identified several troubling trends related to children being poisoned by laundry detergent packets. While recent voluntary industry standards are welcome and important steps in the right direction, they are still inadequate to protect children. We urge you to comply with all elements of the ASTM International (ASTM) voluntary safety standard for liquid laundry packets across all of your detergent packet products and commit to join with stakeholders to re-evaluate the standard to address the specific risks identified in the recent study.
The recent study published in Pediatrics, reviewed 62,254 incidents reported to poison control centers of exposure to detergents among children younger than 6 years old in 2013 and 2014, and found that among laundry and dishwasher detergent packets and non-packet products, the incidence and severity of exposure by young children was highest related to laundry detergent packets. The study also found that during the study period, the number of exposures to laundry detergent packets among young children increased by 17 percent, and children poisoned by laundry detergent packets were more likely to be admitted to a health care facility with serious medical outcomes – such as coma, cardiac arrest, respiratory arrest, and death.
We were pleased that Proctor & Gamble (P&G) worked with stakeholders to develop the ASTM voluntary safety standard for laundry detergent packets in 2015. We understand the new voluntary product standard includes measures to address such elements as opaque packaging, capsule integrity, and aversive agents, with some of these changes taking effect in products entering the market next month. We also commend P&G for addressing safety hazards through the promotion of consumer awareness campaigns about the risk of exposure and best practices for safe storage. We look forward to monitoring the independent data to assess whether these steps are working and identifying any remaining gaps in the voluntary ASTM standard.
In the meantime, however, we are concerned that the provisions that were not adopted as part of the ASTM standard remain as significant threats to children, as underscored by the Pediatrics study. The authors concluded that, “Our findings demonstrate that laundry detergent packets are more toxic than other types of detergents.”
Therefore, we urge you to comply with all elements of the ASTM voluntary safety standard across all of your detergent packet products and commit to join with stakeholders to re-evaluate the standard to address the unmet safeguards that pose specific risks as identified in the recent study, including: chemical composition and concentration to reduce toxicity; outer package warnings and child-proof measures; and design, color, and fragrance to reduce the appeal to young children.
We also ask request the following information:
- When will P&G fully comply with all elements of the ASTM standard across all of its detergent packet products?
- Will P&G remove products currently on the market that are not compliant with the ASTM standard?
- At what point will P&G share all available data with stakeholders that will allow for the proper and thorough evaluation of the new ASTM standard?
It is imperative that industry improves its standard to reduce the risk of childhood exposure.
Thank you for your attention to this matter and we look forward to your timely response.
Sincerely,
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