Parents and caretakers tend to take no chances when it comes to their child’s health. Families work hard to babyproof, read literature, and inspect products intended for their precious infants. Developing babies are extremely fragile, and therefore, they require careful attention and monitoring. Sadly, infants can still encounter harm despite their parents’ protection. Negligent companies may expose infants to toxic heavy metals present in certain brands of baby food.
Our law firm is currently handling lawsuits on behalf of infants fed baby foods contaminated with heavy metals. Lawsuits against the manufacturers of popular baby foods claim that high levels of heavy metals in baby food may lead to complications such as autism or ADHD. Call (888) 525-3529 or fill out the free case evaluation form on this page today to speak with a heavy metal baby food lawyer at our firm.
In September 2021, the House Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy released an alarming report concerning baby food. The report revealed that many popular baby food brands contain exceedingly high levels of inorganic arsenic, lead, mercury, and cadmium. Gerber, Beech-Nut, and Earth’s Best were among the brands in question.
An initial investigation by the subcommittee requested that seven leading manufacturers submit data on heavy metal testing in November 2019. Only four manufacturers submitted the documentation meanwhile, Walmart, Campbell, and Sprouts Organic Foods did not. For those that did produce the requested data, the subcommittee found high concentrations of metals in the baby food.
Unfortunately, the FDA has not yet specified a safe and legal limit on heavy metals in baby food, except for inorganic arsenic in infant rice cereal. Therefore, these companies determined their own standards for the contaminants in their products. The investigation found that these self-regulated “safe” levels were very high. Concerningly, the report discovered that some companies rarely even test their baby foods for heavy metals. For instance, Sprouts only conducts tests once a year, and Walmart does not test but instead relies on suppliers to self-certify. The report revealed that baby food companies knowingly market and sell toxic baby food products.
The World Health Organization stated that arsenic, lead, mercury, and cadmium are among the top ten chemicals of concern for infants and children. In the worrisome report, the subcommittee concluded that some baby foods contain more than 90 times the maximum level of arsenic permitted in bottled water, 177 times the allowable levels of lead, 69 times the allowable levels of cadmium, and five times the allowable levels of mercury. Baby food companies have been asked to suspend the manufacturing and sale of infant rice cereal until regulations for arsenic are updated to protect infants.
In October 2021, the New York Attorney General’s Office launched an investigation into baby food toxicity, urging the FDA to accelerate actions to remove toxic metals from baby foods. Due to the prevalence of toxic metals in baby food, the FDA has also proposed an action plan for metals in baby food entitled Closer to Zero.
Heavy metals in baby foods can affect neurological and developmental growth in infants and children. Ingestion of baby food contaminated with heavy metals may have long-term negative effects, including:
Lawsuits accuse companies of distributing baby foods with high levels of toxic metals that may increase the risk of long-term neurological and developmental injuries. Furthermore, the lawsuits allege that the companies endangered the health of children and that parents would not have purchased the products if they were aware of their toxic ingredients. Other lawsuits against major baby food manufacturers claim companies used organized schemes to conceal the contamination of their products with heavy metals.
Heavy metal baby food lawyers are working with families to file lawsuits against several companies, including:
If your child ate baby foods from these companies and was later diagnosed with autism or ADHD, you may qualify for a heavy metal baby food lawsuit. The Lake Law Firm stops at nothing to support families harmed by negligent manufacturers. We have the necessary experience in advocating for children injured by baby food, formulas, and other defective products. Speak with a heavy metal baby food lawyer at our firm today to learn what steps you can take to file a potential claim.
Upon the release of these reports examining toxic metals in baby food, many were surprised to discover the FDA did not regulate many of these potentially harmful contaminants. As part of its Closer to Zero initiative, the FDA released new action levels for toxic metals in baby food in January 2023. This updated guidance focused on lead and laid out the following action levels for lead in foods for babies and young children:
These numbers have not been finalized yet. However, experts have expressed concerns over the guidance for lead in baby food, stating the action levels are not enough to protect future generations.
The FDA aims to introduce action levels for arsenic and cadmium in baby food in 2024.
Financial compensation may be available to families whose children developed ADHD or autism due to contaminated baby food. Lawsuits argue families could have protected their children from these neurological disorders if companies were truthful about the high levels of toxic heavy metals in their baby foods.
There are no heavy metal baby food settlements or verdicts at this time. However, we will continue to update this page as we progress through litigation surrounding toxic metals in baby food.
If your child has been affected by toxic metals in baby food, you may recover compensation for any or all of the following:
The Lake Law Firm was founded by Edward J. Lake, Esq., a personal injury lawyer for over 25 years. Our dedicated team of attorneys is committed to seeking justice on behalf of those who have suffered injury or death due to the negligence of others. Our experienced attorneys handle many different types of pharmaceutical drugs, medical devices, and other defective products. The lawyers in our firm have helped collect millions of dollars for their clients. A heavy metal baby food lawyer will advocate for you and your rights. Please contact us for a free confidential case evaluation at (888) 525-3529 or by submitting an inquiry on this page.
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