Children's Contigo water bottles recalled over choking hazard

This image shows how to identify a water bottle affected by the recall. (Contigo)

Nearly 160,000 water bottles made by Contigo, a popular water bottle manufacturer, have been recalled in Canada due to fears that they could present a choking hazard for children.

Contigo makes a variety of water bottles, but only the Contigo Kids Cleanable water bottles are affected by the recall. The silicon mouthpiece can become detached during use, and could lead to choking if swallowed.

No injuries have been reported yet as a result of the detachable spout, according to a Health Canada news release, but there have been 149 reports of the spout detaching in the U.S., and 30 reports in Canada.

The company said it is “voluntarily recalling the lids” of the water bottle “out of an abundance of caution.” Only bottles with a black spout cover and a black spout base are affected by the recall.

The water bottles were sold widely in Canada, the U.S. and Mexico between April 2018 and June 2019, and the recall affects all three countries. The bottles were sold individually as well as in packs of two or three, and came in three sizes: 13-ounce, 14-ounce and 20-ounce.

There were approximately 5.7 million of the Cleanable water bottles sold in the U.S., 157,000 sold in Canada and around 29,000 sold in Mexico.

Health Canada is advising that consumers immediately stop using the water bottles and apply for a replacement from the company.

So how do you tell if you have one of the affected water bottles? Contigo put out instructions on its website to help consumers identify the difference between water bottles that are part of the recall and those that aren’t.

They say the Cleanable line can be identified by a black spout cover and a black base of the spout itself, which gradients into a clear colour at the top. If you are in possession of a Cleanable water bottle, there are instructions to test if your spout is defective.

If the spout pops off easily, you can apply to get a replacement lid from Contigo.