Perth, May 20: Australian businesses are now banned from supplying baby bottle self-feeding devices due to the risk of injury or death to infants.
The permanent ban applies to products that position a baby bottle or bottle teat so an infant can feed without another person holding the bottle or without adult supervision.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission said the devices posed key safety risks, including choking, aspiration and suffocation. It is now illegal to supply or offer to supply the devices in Australia, and also illegal to manufacture, possess or have control of a banned product.
The ban follows a Safety Warning Notice issued in August 2024 and an ACCC investigation, which included consultation with a paediatric health expert and healthcare stakeholders.
“Each year, we set our product safety priorities to target and increase awareness of high-risk unsafe consumer goods. This year, our focus has been on unsafe products sold in digital markets and product safety issues for young children,” ACCC Deputy Chair Catriona Lowe said.
“Baby bottle self-feeding devices pose an unacceptable risk of injury or death to infants as a result of choking, suffocation and aspiration, as babies do not have the ability to regulate the flow of milk or remove the bottle from their mouth themselves.”
“This permanent ban makes clear that products which undermine safe infant feeding practices will not be tolerated in the Australian market. Suppliers should be aware that it is now illegal to supply these products in Australia, and penalties may apply for businesses that do not comply.”
“We urge consumers to stop using these devices immediately and to always actively supervise babies during feeding,” Lowe said.
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