Consumer Reports has taken laundry pods of their recommended detergents list due to increasing concerns over the pod's risk to children.
The agency made the announcement on Thursday morning after finding out that hospitals continue to receive more cases of accidental poisoning.
According to a press release from the American Association of Poison Control Centers (AAPCC), the first public alert on laundry pods was issued in May 2012.
Since the start of this year and through June, over 6,000 households that have children five years old and younger have already made a call to poison control centers after incidence of children ingesting the pods or getting detergent on their skin.
If the trend continues, the number of cases will catch up with last year's figure, which was at 11,714.
AAPCC reports that exposure to laundry pods include inhalation, ingestion and contact with skin and eyes. Once an individual gets exposed, symptoms like gasping, wheezing, lethargy, vomiting, and abrasions on the cornea would manifest.
Laundry detergent pods became popular among households since 2012 as they provide convenience when doing the laundry.
However, the warning from Consumer Reports stated that it only applies to pods containing liquid detergent since those that contain powdered detergent were associated with fewer exposures.
Consumer Reports already called on manufacturers to come up with a safer design for pods. Several manufacturers have responded to the call by changing opaque outer plastic containers to clear ones; others have also placed "child-resistant latches" so children will have difficulty accessing the pods.
Despite these measures, there are still a lot of kids getting their hands on the pods and often, grave consequences follow.
"Given the continued danger, we have made the decision to not include pods on our list of recommended laundry detergents," Consumer Reports stated.
According to AAPCC President Marsha Ford in her statement, pods carrying new packaging will not guarantee safety for children. She emphasized that parents and caregivers should also play a role to ensure protection by placing laundry detergents out of children's reach.
