Claim: Stanley cups contain lead

Question

Users on TikTok have been using at-home test kits to check if their cups contain lead. Stanley's FAQ states: "Our products are FDA tested and approved, and all contact surfaces are guaranteed to be safe and BPS/BPA-free." However, it does not mention the inclusion of lead. A TikTok user tested the bottom of the cup, which contained lead. The only part of the cup that contains lead is the bottom, which is normally covered. Whenever the paint comes off, it is advised to toss the cup.

Comments

I believe this statement is true because a lot of insulated cups do contain lead but i also believe that Stanley would not produce a cup with just lead and majority of the cup is stainless steel and is extremely unlikely that you will consume or come in contact with lead. A lot of people believe what they see immediately so just like the Stanley became such a sudden trend people can also believe immediately that they are consuming lead just because of one person testing the base of the cup and making an assumption

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I see this statement truthful. According to the WCNC,"Stanley tumblers are sealed with a small trace of lead in their insulated cups, but the lead is completely enclosed by stainless steel and does not come into contact with your drink." That this the hard written facts Stanley Manufacture has said.

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I believe this statement since there are plenty of water bottles and insulated cups that contain lead. From the website named"Lead Safe Mama's," the writer confirms that the Stanley Cups do in fact contain some materials of lead.  Tamara Rubin, the writer and owner of Lead Safe Mama, shows a statement made by the Stanley brand that there is a "very high level of outdated/unsafe lead. The pellet is completely enclosed by a stainless-steel cover making it inaccessible to consumers.
Source: https://tamararubin.com/2024/01/stanley-confirms-that-they-are-aware-of-the-fact-that-their-stanley-cup-insulated-tumblers-are-made-with-lead/"

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I agree with your statement. After researching this topic I found multiple sources that were looking into Stanley cups containing lead. Most of them claimed that the Stanley manufactures had sent out emails claiming that all of their products were up to industry standard. WNCN states that, Stanley did say it seals its insulated products with an industry-standard pellet that includes some lead. Stanley said the pellet is completely covered and enclosed by a stainless-steel cover, making it inaccessible to consumers."  Adding some textual support to your statement can help back up your claim. Finding the original statement or video of the person claiming that they tested for lead could support your claim.
Source: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/verify/stanley-cup-lead-health-verify/275-8e52adaf-2825-428f-8830-2543fcf54ec6#:~:text=Yes%2C%20Stanley%20tumblers%20are%20sealed,into%20contact%20with%20your%20drink.

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This statement is misleading. Stanley cups do contain led, however it is covered up and inside the bottle. Therefore, the lead within is safe and unable to contaminate your drink. According to Kate Underwood on Green Matters, the Stanley cups are made with a lead solder, similar to many other reusable insulated bottles.
https://www.greenmatters.com/sustainable-living/stanley-cup-lead-poisoning

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I agree with this fact-check, I think TikTok is not a reliable source and we should not believe what ONE person is saying. TIME magazine also posted an article with Stanley's reaction to this comment and the company said that the cups do contain lead but they are then coated with stainless steel making them non-harmful.

Source; https://time.com/6588909/stanley-cups-contain-lead-concerns-response-viral/

Answer 1

Stanley cups do have a small amount of lead in them. However, the lead is enclosed and could never be exposed to your beverage. Even if the lead were exposed, the amount is very little and not enough to become immediately harmful. Melin Tompkins from WCNC (NBC affiliate) Charlotte wrote an article with quotes from the company stating the small but not harmful amounts of lead in their Stanley cups. She also spoke with Dr. Karla Robinson, a family physician who said lead isn't healthy but small amounts over time are to be expected. I feel the source and the evidence are valid and the claim of if Stanley Cups contain lead is true, but it is a little misleading as to the seriousness of the situation. 

https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/verify/stanley-cup-lead-health-verify/275-8e52adaf-2825-428f-8830-2543fcf54ec6

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bn9t4cO939M

Comments

The sources you listed were quite helpful, and you did a great job at summarizing your findings for this fact check. Dr. Karla Robinson is mentioned in the fact check but there is no other information about her, I think it would be good to include that.

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I do agree with your statement, especially since you included links to where you found this information, meaning WCNC which is connected to NCB, a reputable news outlet. Both of your sources are from WCNC, is there any other reputable source that can support these claims as well to solidify your argument?

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This was a very helpful fact check. It got straight to the point of what was true about the article and what was not. It also explained that the information given is not untrue but just misleading. Along with this the sources are helpful and when you visit them they give a lot fo information on where the information is from.

Answer 2

Stanley cup, and other news outlets have confirmed that there is lead within the cups. However, the lead is covered by stainless steel and it is highly unlikely that you will come in contact with the lead. Many reusable and insulated water bottles contain lead as it is a popular soldering material. If you do decide to research Stanley cups and them containing lead, be aware of many mom bloggers and tik tok posters. Stanley themselves have posted about their water bottles. 

 

Do Stanley cups have lead in them? VERIFY - Charlotte - WCNC

WCNC

https://www.wcnc.com › article › news › stanley-cup-lea...

 

Comments

I agree with this statement because I have seen many PR releases on finding out that stanley cups do contain lead. However, most metal and insulated cups do as well. They are typically covered by a layer of paint so that this does not affect the water you are drinking.

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I agree, that there is lead in Stanley cups, however, it will not affect your drink and put someone using one in danger. I like how you brought up other non-credible sources as a warning like TikTok. There is not a lot of credible sources that report on this issue, but the article you use is very credible and provides a good clarification to the claim.

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I agree with this fact check because Stanley cups do contain lead, however so do many other insulated drink cups also. The amount of lead is super minimal although so it is highly unlikely it would affect anything you drink.

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Stanley also released a statement to address the conspiracy. “We seal our vacuum insulated stainless steel products with an industry-standard pellet that includes some lead,” said Stanley. “The pellet is completely enclosed by a stainless-steel cover, making it inaccessible to consumers.” But people automatically believed someone who had not done any fact checking.

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I agree with your findings, and I appreciate the small warning of other non-credible sources about this subject, I think that is very important to consider. I do think that the way these other sources word their claims effects how others see it and respond.

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I agree with this, Stanley cups do contain small traces of lead but the claims that these cups are harmful are not credible because the majority of insulated cups do contain lead, and sources like TikTok are often used to create alarm, but researching the claim and discovering clarification debunks these claims.

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I agree with your statement. I liked how you pointed out most water bottle companies do the same thing.

Answer 3

While the claim is not entirely misleading, there seems to be a bit of frenzy over where the lead is actually located in relation to the Stanley Cups. While it has been confirmed that the Stanley Cups contain lead, where it seems to be located in a lot of these TikTok videos (near the bottom of the cup) does not come anywhere near where you would have your beverage thus being okay to drink daily. Additionally, news station WCNC Charlotte verified this in a video segment where WCNC Charlotte reporter Meghan Bragg was in communication with the Stanley 1913 company along with Family Physician Karla Robinson where Bragg learned from the company that not only do all the cups meet all U.S. regulatory requirements but also "no lead is present on the surface of any Stanley product that comes in contact with you or the contents of your container". 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bn9t4cO939M

Comments

This was a well-worded fact check! I think that I'd have liked to see a source on the location of the lead, potentially, but the youtube video backs up what you were saying and the common consensus seems to be that water does not in fact come into contact with any lead inside Stanley cups.

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You did a great job summarizing your research findings! It's important to point out how people may use a slightly misleading title to grab attention. I would also be interested to see a rebuttal of the TikToker's claim she made about testing and finding lead in her Stanley's water. This would prove if it was a false positive on the test's end, or if there really is a small amount of lead.

Answer 4

While there are small amounts of lead in the metal, it is the normal amount found within the stainless steel. The amount of lead is not on top of the lining that touches your drink, so it cannot leach into your drink like people may fear.

https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/verify/stanley-cup-lead-health-verify/275-8e52adaf-2825-428f-8830-2543fcf54ec6#:~:text=They%20said%20no%20lead%20is,into%20contact%20with%20your%20beverage.

Comments

I agree with this comment as well. They specifically say in this articlehttps://www.wcnc.com/article/news/verify/stanley-cup-lead-health-verify/275-8e52adaf-2825-428f-8830-2543fcf54ec6
That the Stanley cups do contain led in order to make them. but that being said have no access for lead exposure to get into youre drink.

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I agree with this claim. While it is true Stanley cups do contain lead, it will never be an issue in your drink or health. The headline makes it seem like lead can get into the drink and is a serious issue. While lead exposure is serious, it is not an issue in this scenario. I used the same article and found the evidence insightful and credible. Meilin Tompkins is a reliable reporter for WCNC where she has worked at for several years. She not only uses the email from Stanley Compnay but also brings in a medical expert to back up her case.

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I agree with this claim because stainless steel and the majority of insulated products do contain small traces but it will not result in harmful impacts on health.

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I agree with this comment but I don’t think the claim is misleading. The cups do contain lead its just that the lead can’t harm you.

Answer 5

This claim can be seen as somewhat factual. The product description on the Stanley website states that their products are made of "90% recycled 18/8 stainless steel, BPA-free." WCNC, an NBC News affiliate out of Charlotte, North Carolina, did an investigation into whether Stanley products contain lead. They found after emailing Stanley themselves that the products do contain lead, but there is no lead in areas where your beverage is held, and they meet California's Proposition 65 requirements, which require companies to list all known carcinogens in products.

https://www.stanley1913.com/products/adventure-quencher-travel-tumbler-40-oz 

https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/verify/stanley-cup-lead-health-verify/275-8e52adaf-2825-428f-8830-2543fcf54ec6

Answer 6

According to some news outlets, Stanley cups do contain some trace of lead, but it is not harmful. According to an email sent from Stanley cups customer support in an article posted by Meilin Tompkins for WCNC, Stanley uses an industry-standard pellet to vacuum seal their cups, which does contain traces of lead but because it is insulated with a stainless steel, it is covered and is not exposed to the consumer. 

https://www.themarysue.com/do-stanley-cups-contain-lead-answered/

https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/verify/stanley-cup-lead-health-verify/275-8e52adaf-2825-428f-8830-2543fcf54ec6

https://www.dailydot.com/news/stanley-cup-water-bottle-testing-positive-lead/

Answer 7

I believe this claim is true. Stanley cups do contain lead, however, it is a trace amount and does not come in contact with your drink as stated in this article: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/verify/stanley-cup-lead-health-verify/275-8e52adaf-2825-428f-8830-2543fcf54ec6#:~:text=They%20said%20no%20lead%20is,into%20contact%20with%20your%20beverage.  

Comments

Rather than say "as stated in this article," integrate your findings within your fact-check. For instance: "According to WCNC, Stanley cups do contain lead..."

Answer 8

This is misleading but true because although the bottle is made of lead, it is not exposed to the liquid you put into the bottle. According to the company's consumer support specialist, " We seal our vacuum-insulated stainless steel products with an industry standard pellet that includes some lead. The pellet is completely enclosed by a stainless-steel cover, making it inaccessible to consumers." The tumbler is perfectly safe to drink out of.

Sources: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FkuXh2isA9c

https://www.today.com/health/news/stanley-cups-lead-rcna135513

Answer 9

When doing my research on this claim, I have come across the information that Stanley does use lead with their product but not anywhere that the person using said drinking containers would ingest or come into contact with. Through the Today news article, I found information from a Stanley spokesperson reacting to social media claims. They said that inside the stainless steel is lead but it is completely covered and would not be shown unless damage. When doing more research, I also found that knockoff Stanleys did contain lead unsafely inside of them and have been recalled.

https://www.today.com/health/news/stanley-cups-lead-rcna135513

https://www.familyhandyman.com/article/knockoff-stanley-tumbler-recall/

Comments

Interesting point about knockoff cups! How would you rate the claim?

Answer 10

The claim of this article is misleading, people have been assuming that using the Stanley cup you can be poisoned by lead consumption. The author of this article is Patricia Battle and she writes articles on trending topics. She did go ahead and mentioned that Stanely spoke to the WCNC news about the issue. I went to the WCNC article and it says, “Yes, Stanley tumblers are sealed with a small trace of lead in their insulated cups, but the lead is completely enclosed by stainless steel and does not come into contact with your drink.” They also linked the Stanley’s official website where in the support section it gives a detailed description of how the Stanley is made and confirms that the lead in the cup does not hit the surface.

https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/verify/stanley-cup-lead-health-verify/275-8e52adaf-2825-428f-8830-2543fcf54ec6

https://support.stanley1913.com/en/support/solutions/articles/69000850924-do-the-quencher-h2-0-flowstate-tumblers-contain-lead-

Comments

How would you rate the claim itself, here on the website (not the article)? Misleading as well?

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WCNC news is affiliated with NBC, so this seems like a reliable source. This is a solid fact check with a good quote. The quote debunks the claim. How would you categorize this claim? Misleading? I would also write a sentence summarizing how the claim came about.

I like how the article also links to the official Stanley site because it gives great information about how the cups are made.