Mold risk prompts massive sippy cup recall

More than 3 million spill-proof "Tommee Tippee Sippee" cups are being recalled after nearly 70 children became ill drinking from moldy valves, the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) said Friday.

The manufacturer, Mayborn USA, has received 3,066 reports of mold in the removable, one-piece, opaque valve of the Sippee cups, including 68 reports of children experiencing diarrhea, vomiting or other symptoms associated with drinking from a cup with mold in the valve, according to the agency.

Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled Sippee cups and contact Mayborn to receive a free replacement cup by going online at www.tommeetippee.us and clicking on the recall button, or by calling toll-free at 877-248-6922 anytime during the week and from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. ET Saturday.

Mold can develop on the removable, one-piece, white valve inside the cups when it remains moist and is infrequently cleaned, said the safety commission, which added that ingesting mold can cause gastrointestinal symptoms and infections in people with compromised immune systems.

The recall involves five types of cups all with a removable, one-piece white valve: First Sips Transition cup, Trainer Sippee cup, Sippee cup (including Cute Quips), Sportee bottle and Insulated Swiggle/Sippee tumblers.

The cups, which sold for between $4.00 and $7.00 and made for children aged four months to a year, were sold nationwide from December 2014 through May 2016 at retailers including Target, Walgreens and Walmart, and through online retailers including Amazon.