The $30B cleaning products sector is on the defensive after the journal Pediatrics published a study claiming more than 17,000 children were injured by laundry detergent "pods" introduced in 2012.
The candy-colored detergent packets were ingested by nearly 80% of the 17,230 children younger than 6 involved in accidents, Pediatrics reports. The journal concluded the pods "pose a serious poisoning risk to young children" and called for improvements in packaging, labeling, safety standards and PR.
The Washington, D.C.-based trade group The American Cleaning Institute, which works with DeVries Global, is mounting a pushback against the report, highlighting industry safety efforts, including the year-old KEY Pledge information campaign, aimed to protect children from the detergent packets.
"Manufacturers of liquid laundry detergent packets are very committed to reducing the number of children involved in accidents with these products, which are used safely by millions of consumers," the group said Nov. 10 in response to the Pediatrics study.
ACI is pointing to engagement with the Consumer Product Safety Commission, changes in packaging like improved warning labels, and voluntary guidance for members issued in early 2014, among other steps to mitigate accidents.
DeVries Global also reps Procter & Gamble's Tide, a top maker of the detergent pods. Brian Sansoni is VP of communication and membership for the ACI.
ACI's own study released Nov. 3 found low consumer awareness of the risks of detergent packets. "As seen in the survey results, we still have work to do," ACI SVP Nancy Bock said.
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