Toxic Baby Food

What is Toxic Baby Food?

Toxic baby food refers to baby foods contaminated with heavy metals including arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury. 

While most baby foods contain some levels of these metals, a number of common baby food products made by major manufacturers were found to contain them in dangerous amounts. 

In fact, Consumer Reports tested 50 packaged baby and toddler foods in 2018 and found a measurable amount of at least one heavy metal in all products, with ⅔ of products containing “worrisome” levels of these metals. Worse still, the report revealed that consumption of the tainted foods once daily would put young children at risk of potential health complications.

Heavy metals were especially likely to be present in rice-based products and infant cereals, but were also found in significant concentrations in other foods including carrots, sweet potatoes, and apple sauce. 

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Potential Health Risks of Toxic Baby Food

Heavy metals tend to bioaccumulate in the body, so even small amounts can have a devastating impact on development – especially in a child’s formative years when infants and young toddlers are most likely to consume the contaminated food. 

Numerous research has raised the alarm regarding toxic baby food including:

• A 2021 Congressional report entitled “Baby Foods Are Tainted with Dangerous Levels of Arsenic, Lead, Cadmium, and Mercury.” The report “exposed dangerous levels of toxic heavy metals in baby foods” produced by Nurture, Inc. (HappyBABY), Beech-Nut Nutrition Company, Hain Celestial Group, Inc (Earth’s Best Organic), and Gerber. 
• An analysis by Healthy Babies which found toxic metals in 95% of 168 baby foods analyzed. 
• Research published in BMC Public Health demonstrates that children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder suffer from both calcium deficiencies and toxic metal overload. Researchers stated “These abnormalities may play the main role, as an environmental factor, in the pathogenesis of the analyzed disorder.”

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FDA Actions Against Toxic Baby Food 

Concern about high levels of toxic heavy metals in baby food has resulted in the FDA taking action. The FDA launched the Closer to Zero campaign with the goal of reducing exposure to arsenic, lead, cadmium, mercury  and other toxic metals found in toxic baby food.

The FDA finalized guidance on maximum lead levels for baby foods as part of that initiative. The guidance is not legally binding but helps to set thresholds of toxic metals that are considered unsafe for infants.

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Other Government Actions

Individual states are also taking action to try to reduce the risks of heavy metal exposure to young children:

• State Senator Laura Fine advanced legislation in Illinois to inform parents about the potential risks of heavy metals in baby food and to require manufacturers to test food samples to measure levels of toxic elements. 
• California lawmakers recently passed new legislation requiring all manufacturers of baby foods to conduct testing to determine levels of arsenic, lead, cadmium, and mercury. Manufacturers must provide a QR code on the product label that takes shoppers to a website where they can see the volume of heavy metals in the product. 
• Maryland lawmakers passed “Rudy’s Law,” imposing new requirements on baby food manufacturers to test for heavy metals.

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Why Are Toxic Baby Food Lawsuits Being Filed? 

Toxic baby food lawsuits are being filed because parents believe product manufacturers sold dangerous baby food and failed to provide adequate warnings of the risks of heavy metal exposure, or of the link between this exposure and the development of autism spectrum disorder and other cognitive or developmental impairments.

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Parents want to hold baby food manufacturers liable for the resulting damages caused by their products. These types of claims are governed by product liability laws, which hold companies strictly liable for releasing dangerous products onto the marketplace, as well as for failure to warn product users of the risks. 

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History of Toxic Baby Food Lawsuits and Recent Case Updates

When many people suffer similar harm, many legal cases are often filed. That occurred with toxic baby food claims as hundreds of parents filed claims alleging contaminated food products caused their children to develop autism spectrum disorder, ADHD, and other developmental disorders. 

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Because so many plaintiffs were pursuing litigation, many cases were consolidated into a federal multidistrict litigation (MDL).² MDLs allow each plaintiff to retain their separate case, but move those cases before one judge who can decide on common issues. The toxic baby food cases were consolidated in April of 2024 in the Northern District of California.

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These cases are still working their way through the discovery process, which is the process during which information is exchanged so each side can begin to build their case. 

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As the case begins to develop, defendants aimed to end litigation with a motion to dismiss recently. However, the judge overseeing the MDL ruled on April 2, 2025 that lawsuits could proceed against Beech-Nut Nutrition Company, Gerber Products Company, Hain Celestial Group, Inc., Neptune Wellness Solutions, Nurture, LLC, Plum, PBC, Sprout Foods, Inc. and Walmart Inc.¹

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Can You Still File a Toxic Baby Food Lawsuit? 

You can still file a toxic baby food lawsuit. Claims are currently being filed nationwide. 

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Who is Eligible to File a Toxic Baby Food Lawsuit?

Parents or guardians of children who consumed contaminated baby food may file a toxic baby food lawsuit if their child developed a cognitive impairment or developmental disorder such as autism or ADHD. 

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How To File a Lawsuit Based On Complications of Toxic Baby Food

You need an experienced attorney to help you determine if you can file a toxic baby food claim and to pursue your case. We have partnered with trusted law firms throughout the United States who help clients harmed by contaminated baby food and we can match you to the right lawyer to help you with your claim. 

You have a limited time to take legal action, so don’t hesitate to act if you believe you have a case against any of these baby food manufacturers. Contact us today to get help finding an attorney offering a free consultation who can help you move your case through the legal system to get the justice your child deserves. 

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¹ Reuters. “Several companies must face lawsuit over tainted baby food, US judge rules.” (April 3, 2025). 

² United States District Court Northern District of California. “In re: Baby Food Products Liability Litigation.”

³ Consumer Reports. “Heavy Metals in Baby Food: What You Need to Know.” (August 16, 2018).

⁴ U.S. Department of Agriculture. “Metals in Baby Food.”

⁵ Rezilir Health. “Heavy Metal Toxic Exposure Can Severely Affect Brain Health.” (October 28, 2020)

⁶ U.S. House of Representatives. “New Disclosures Show Dangerous Levels of Toxic Heavy Metals in Even More Baby Foods.” 

⁷ Healthy Babies. “What’s in My Baby’s Food?”

⁸ BMC Public Health. “Analysis of lead, arsenic and calcium content in the hair of children with autism spectrum disorder.” (March 23, 2023).

⁹ Food and Drug Administration. “Closer to Zero: Reducing Childhood Exposure to Contaminants from Foods.” 

¹⁰ Food and Drug Administration. “Guidance for Industry: Action Levels for Lead in Processed Food Intended for Babies and Young Children.”  (January 2025).

¹¹ Illinois Senate Democrats. “Fine advances safety measures to remove toxic metals in baby food.” (March 21, 2025).

¹² California Legislative Information. “Assembly Bill 899. Food Safety: Baby Food”

¹³ Maryland General Assembly. “Baby Food - Toxic Heavy Metals - Testing and Labeling (Rudy's Law)”