Foreign-Made Off-Brand Faucets Pose Serious Health Risks, Third-Party Study Reveals
DEERFIELD, Ill., May 16, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Moen, a leader in water experiences and part of Fortune Brands Innovations (NYSE: FBIN), has unveiled findings from independent testing that highlight alarming safety defects in budget-conscious foreign-made faucets. The laboratory results underscore a growing public health concern as these products leach toxic chemicals into household drinking water, violating federal standards.
New research conducted by the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO) reveals that nearly nine out of 10 tested foreign-made off-brand faucets failed to meet U.S. drinking water safety benchmarks. The findings come amid a surge in imports, with approximately 35 million such products flooding into the U.S. market since 2020—placing millions at potential risk of prolonged lead exposure. As plumbers, homeowners, and retailers grapple with this hazards, the study raises urgent questions about supply chain oversight and consumer awareness.
Aaron Bores, Fortune Brands Innovations’ head of product development, called the results “a shocking disregard for health standards.” He pointed to one product that tested 356% over allowable lead thresholds and another surpassing chemical limits by 591%—far beyond the boundaries of the National Sanitation Foundation’s safety regulations. “This isn’t about cutting corners. It’s about manufacturers obliterating safety protocols to undercut price-sensitive buyers,” Bores added. “Consumers aren’t just dangling their savings; they’re jeopardizing their family’s well-being.”
The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has already responded. On May 14, it issued nine formal advisories urging immediate discontinuation of these products, prioritizing families with infants, young children, or pregnant individuals. Visit this link and this link to review the alerts.
Lead contamination—a silent yet devastating threat—has long been tied to developmental delays, kidney damage, and cardiovascular issues. But the lab-analyzed data suggest an additional risk: certain faucets exposed users to carcinogenic compound concentrations at levels that could elevate cancer risks over time. ***
“Price attractiveness shouldn’t erase basic safety instincts,” Bores emphasized during a recent press briefing. “Moen’s commitment isn’t just to durability; it’s to engineering water experiences that families can trust 100%. Our third-party certifications aren’t a marketing gimmick—they’re a medical necessity.” Proprietary reports reveal broad contamination trends in rubber seals, metal alloys, and coating agents used by unofficial vendors.
In stark contrast to substandard offerings, Moen’s products undergo multi-tiered compliance checks and adhere to—or exceed4pacer-widgets throughout their lifecycle. The brand’s decades-long reign as the National Best in Quality Control underlines a pattern in its $3 billion division: prioritizing long-term safety metrics over short-term cost benefits.
About the Investigation
IAPMO’s March 2025 audit reviewed 19 high-selling foreign faucets using stringent NSF International protocols. Testers detected exceeding thresholds of lead (in 9 out of 10 samples) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), particularly in coating residues and solder joints. View the complete report analysis here. ** Additional background research was pulled from chemical toxicity databases managed by the National Institute of Health and regulatory archives at the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. *** Data sourced from 2025 PubChem National Institutes of Health risk reports including this specific analysis of trace element leaching effects.
About Moen
North America’s dominant faucet brand for over four decades, Moen delivers over 250 innovations annually across kitchen, bath, and commercial security settings. Market leaders track its Precision Flow™ Technology suite, which utilizes AI-driven leakage mitigation and ANSI-certified material sourcing that guarantees compliance with both Safe Drinking Water Act guidelines and WELL Building Standard aspirations.
About Fortune Brands Innovations
Headquartered in suburban Chicago, Fortune Brands Innovations (NYSE: FBIN) positions itself at the forefront of the smart infrastructure movement. Its dual focus on environmental impact reduction—heavily investing in closed-loop manufacturing—while overtaking competitors like Kohler in Industry 4.0 integrations has sparked a 12% swing in broker-consensus ratings from Hold to Buy in the first-quarter 2025 earnings slice. The multinational now chairs brands spanning Master Lock to Therma-Tru, emphasizing safety within industry verticals valued beyond $25 billion.
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