Duracell Debuts Breakthrough Child Safety Feature for Lithium Coin Batteries, Offering Medical Professionals and Caregivers a New Advancement in Safety to Help Decrease Accidental Ingestions, Providing Consumers the Ability to “Power Safely”

Receiving the Parent Tested Parent Approved (PTPA) Winner’s Seal of Approval, Duracell is helping to educate families, caregivers and Pediatric Health Professionals on updated child safety features and guidelines of the lithium coin battery

BETHEL, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Duracell, the most trusted battery brand, announced today its latest innovation in child safety, a bitter coating on its lithium coin batteries -- sizes 2032, 2025, and 2016. This breakthrough innovation in the battery category is designed to help deter accidental ingestions. With coin battery ingestions on the rise over the past two decades and damage that can occur in just two hours from ingestion, Duracell was determined to provide parents and caregivers of young children with an additional safety feature, child-safe packaging, and supportive education to help reverse this rising and devastating trend.

Duracell Lithium Coin batteries (sizes 2032, 2025, and 2016) will now contain a transparent, non-toxic, bitter coating designed to help discourage swallowing. This bitter coating is applied to these battery sizes which have a diameter of 20mm, which is similar to the size of a child’s esophagus (food pipe). If a child swallows a lithium coin battery, it can get lodged in the esophagus and burn through the surrounding tissue in as little as 2 hours, causing serious damage.

Further credentialing the product’s child safety feature and innovation, Duracell’s new lithium coin battery was awarded the coveted Parent Tested Parent Approved Winner’s Seal of Approval. By connecting manufacturers with consumers, PTPA helps families identify products that have been evaluated and recommended by their peers through unbiased review.

For additional safety, Duracell’s Child Secure Pack features a tough double blister around the lithium coin cell that is nearly impossible to open with bare hands. In order to retrieve the batteries, the pack must be opened by using a pair of scissors. Duracell embodies the “Power Safely” message by educating consumers to actively identify potential dangers in the home while also taking the necessary steps to decrease accidental ingestions and further child safety measures.

“Duracell takes very seriously the trust that millions of consumers across North America place in us to power their lives every day. And our new bitter coating innovation is an important step in child safety for us as a brand. We are proud to work with our retailer partners and other stakeholders in bringing this innovation to market,” says Roberto Mendez, President, Duracell North America. “If a child manages to get access to a lithium coin cell and swallows it, consequences can become serious if not detected fast enough. In order to help prevent accidents and help keep children safe, we’ve worked to provide more child safety features around our lithium coin cells than other leading brands. This new innovation is no different, and we are confident this is the technology families and caregivers need to help close the gap between a child getting their hands on a lithium coin cell and the unfortunate event of ingestion.”

While this technology is revolutionary in the battery category, Duracell also believes battery safety education is critical to truly change the outcome for families around accidental ingestion. That is why Duracell is embarking on the Power Safely initiative to help educate parents, caregivers and pediatric health professionals as to the importance of practicing battery safety throughout the home.

To kickstart the Power Safely campaign, Duracell has created an informational educational video to shed light on the effects lithium coin battery ingestions can have on young children and to help encourage better practices and prevention among parents and caregivers. The video showcases how even the most child-proofed home can still have hidden dangers that may be inadvertently overlooked, and how important the extra line of defense from the new non-toxic bitter coating may be to help protect children from the dangers of accidental ingestion.

Duracell lithium coin batteries in 2032, 2025, and 2016 sizes are available now at select retailers nationwide. To learn more, visit Duracell.com.

For more safety tips and to learn more about Duracell’s new lithium coin battery, please visit Duracell.com or visit @Duracell on Facebook.

About Duracell

Started in the 1920s, the Duracell brand and company was acquired by Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE-BRK.A, BRK.B) in 2016 and has grown to be the leader in the primary battery market in North America. The iconic Duracell brand is known the world over. Our products serve as the heart of devices that keep people connected, protect their families, entertain them, and simplify their increasingly mobile lifestyles. Our recharging technology allows consumers to live life without limits. Berkshire Hathaway Inc. is a $250B holding company owning subsidiaries that engage in diverse business activities. Visit www.duracell.com for more information; follow us on Twitter.com/Duracell and like us on Facebook.com/Duracell.

About PTPA Media Inc.

PTPA Media certifies innovative products that families can trust. By connecting manufacturers with consumers, PTPA Media helps families identify products that have been tested and recommended by their peers. For more information visit http://www.ptpaAwards.com.