Is There Lead in Your Black+Decker PowerCrush Blender?

by

Consumer Reports recently found high levels of lead in a food-contact part of a popular Black+Decker blender, the PowerCrush model BL1230. If you live in California and have used this blender to make baby food, smoothies, or anything else for your family, you may have been exposed to a dangerous neurotoxin. The attorneys at Consumer Law Group of California are investigating potential claims on behalf of California consumers who bought or used this product.

What Consumer Reports Found

Consumer Reports purchased three Black+Decker PowerCrush BL1230 blenders and tested them for lead. In two of the three, testing found high levels of lead in a small metal ring inside the blade assembly, the part of the blender that touches food. One ring measured 4,175 parts per million of lead and another measured 6,027 parts per million. No lead was detected in the third unit.

The problem first surfaced through a report to the Consumer Product Safety Commission involving a 1 year old child with elevated blood lead levels. According to that report, a lead risk assessor found only one lead hazard in the family’s entire home, the metal component in the base of the blender the parent used every day to make the baby’s food. Foods prepared in the blender and then tested reportedly contained lead far above the levels the FDA recommends for baby food. The FDA has confirmed that lead is not authorized for use on food-contact surfaces.

No recall has been announced, and the matter has reportedly been referred to the FDA. Consumer safety experts are urging owners of this blender to stop using it.

California Consumers Have Strong Legal Protections

California gives consumers some of the most powerful protections in the country, and a product that contaminates food with lead may violate several of them:

  • The Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act requires that consumer products be fit for their ordinary use. A blender that sheds lead into the food it prepares is arguably not fit for that basic purpose.
  • The Unfair Competition Law (Business and Professions Code section 17200) prohibits unlawful and unfair business practices, including selling a product that violates food-safety standards.
  • The Consumers Legal Remedies Act (Civil Code section 1750) protects California consumers from deceptive practices in the sale of goods.
  • California product liability law may apply where a defective product causes injury, including harm from lead exposure.

Depending on the facts of your situation, affected consumers may be able to recover the cost of the product, the cost of medical testing and monitoring, and other damages, and to seek a court order requiring the manufacturer to address the problem. Every case is different, and no outcome can be guaranteed, but California law is designed to hold companies accountable when they put unsafe products into consumers’ homes.

What to Do If You Own This Blender

  1. Stop using the blender. Do not use it to prepare food or drinks for anyone in your household.
  2. Do not throw it away. Your blender may be important evidence. Keep it, along with the box and any components.
  3. Save your purchase records. Hold on to your receipt, order confirmation, or credit card statement.
  4. Talk to your doctor. If you or your children have eaten food made in this blender, ask your pediatrician or physician about a blood lead test. Lead exposure often causes no obvious symptoms, especially in young children.
  5. Contact our office. We can review your situation at no cost and explain your rights under California law.

Contact Consumer Law Group of California

Consumer Law Group of California represents consumers harmed by dangerous and defective products and unfair business practices throughout California. If you purchased or used the Black+Decker PowerCrush BL1230 blender, we want to hear from you. Contact us today for a free and confidential consultation. There is no cost and no obligation to have your case reviewed.

Get a Free Case Consultation

This article is attorney advertising. No attorney-client relationship is created between you and Alan M. Mansfield, Consumer Law Group of California, or its attorneys by viewing this article or submitting an online form. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome