Eastman wins Tritan lawsuit against CertiChem/PlastiPure

Specialty chemical maker Eastman Chemical Company has won a lawsuit that dealt with claims of estrogenic activity in the firm’s Tritan-brand copolyester.

A federal jury in Austin, Tex. ruled that Austin-based CertiChem and its sister firm PlastiPure Inc. – safety-based testing and solutions companies, respectively – had made false and misleading statements about Tritan, Eastman officials said in a July 25 news release.

Eastman “continues to uphold its reputation of rigorous testing using independent third-party studies that prove Tritan is free of estrogenic activity,” Eastman said.

In its January 2012 lawsuit, Eastman had alleged that PlastiPure and CertiChem had told customers that Tritan demonstrated estrogenic activity, even though the material does not contain bisphenol-A (BPA). Eastman had asked the court to forbid CertiChem and PlastiPure from making any estrogenic activity claims against Tritan.

Tritan is marketed as a replacement for polycarbonate, which is made using BPA. “More than 600 food contact products, including food serving and storing items, reusable sports bottles and infant care products are made with Tritan, which is free of BPA,” Kingsport, Tenn.-based Eastman said in its news release. “By using Tritan, these products offer practical and safety-enhancing advantages compared with other plastic materials, such as shatter resistance, toughness, dishwasher durability and clarity.”

“Eastman is extremely pleased with this verdict,” said Lucian Boldea, Ph.D., vice president and general manager, Advance Materials-Specialty Plastics at Eastman. “The real winners are consumers who value reliable, accurate information and want safe products for their families.”