Florida begins food safety testing of fortified infant formula
Florida has introduced a new program to increase safety testing of infant formula with a focus on heavy metals and pesticides.
Hundreds of parents have filed a series of recently filed lawsuits against major baby food manufacturers like Gerber, accusing them of “systemic poisoning” that left their children with disabilities.
Since the beginning of 2026, more than 200 lawsuits have been filed against popular baby food brands such as Gerber Products Company, Beech-Nut, Campbell, and Nurture. In June alone, about 40 lawsuits have been filed against the company through June 10, all based on similar allegations, according to court records reviewed by USA TODAY.
As outlined in a complaint filed on June 9th on behalf of Florida mother Jennifer Garcia, the complaint alleges that the brands are “intentionally exposing children to heavy metals,” and the complaint generally alleges that “defendants knowingly marketed these baby foods to contain toxic heavy metals that are known to cause brain damage and adverse neurodevelopmental effects when ingested by infants.”
“Baby food should be safe. It should not be contaminated with toxic heavy metals. This action is intended to deter defendants from poisoning infants with contaminated baby food,” the complaint states, also alleging that Garcia’s 6-year-old child suffered “debilitating brain damage” as a result of eating contaminated food as a toddler.
Most recent complaints have cited similar alleged injuries, including autism spectrum disorder and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Although the initial complaint does not provide any direct evidence for these claims (such as medical testing, medical expert opinion, product-specific testing, or evidence that other potential causes have been ruled out), it is important to note that the investigation is not yet complete.
According to the FDA and the World Health Organization, the heavy metals in question (inorganic arsenic, lead, cadmium, and mercury) have been found to adversely affect children’s development and cause “irreversible and often permanent” brain damage even at limited exposures. Behavioral disorders such as reduced IQ, developmental disabilities, learning disabilities, and antisocial behavior are the most commonly cited long-term effects.
What we know about heavy metals and autism and ADHD
However, there are no conclusive studies establishing a causal relationship between heavy metal intake and autism. Some studies have shown that children with autism have higher levels of heavy metals, but researchers have not proven that these exposures cause autism, and results vary widely depending on factors such as geography, testing methods, and study design. For ADHD and lead in particular, the evidence is stronger, but still inconclusive in terms of proving a direct cause.
Furthermore, the current scientific consensus does not identify a single cause of autism or ADHD, but generally considers them to be multifactorial diseases involving both genetic and environmental factors.
This is one reason why there are still no limits on heavy metals in baby food, food safety attorney Bill Mahler told USA TODAY. Mr. Mahler is not involved in the lawsuits mentioned.
“It’s difficult to prove a link between heavy metals and direct injury,” he says. “Companies will continue to try in vain, saying they can’t prove it, saying they don’t have the right data and need more research.”
USA TODAY has reached out to the FDA for comment.
Baby food products subject to lawsuits
The lawsuit names several companies that make baby food products, including Beech-Nut Nutrition Company, Gerber Products Company, Hain Celestial Group, Inc., Nurture, LLC, Plum Organics, The Campbell’s Company, Sprout Foods, Inc., Neptune Wellness Solutions, Inc., and Walmart, Inc.
They allege contamination across nearly every major baby food category, including cereals, purees, meals, snacks, and teething products, especially those containing rice flour and root vegetables.
The product types listed in the lawsuit are:
- infant rice cereal
- multigrain baby cereal
- oatmeal/oat cereal
- rice-based snacks and cereals
- Jarred fruits and vegetables (sweet potatoes, carrots, spinach, etc.)
- Pouches or jars of fruit/vegetable puree
- Mixed blend of fruits and vegetables
- Meat and vegetable dinners (turkey, chicken, beef blends, etc.)
- Stage 2 / Stage 3 Mixed Meals
- teething biscuit/pacifier
- puffed grain snacks
- Mochi/snack cake for infants
USA TODAY reached out to all brands mentioned for comment on June 11.
Campbell’s said it does not comment on pending litigation, but noted that it sold Plum Organics to Sun-Maid Growers in 2021.
Congressional investigation finds arsenic and lead in baby food
Congressional investigations in February and September 2021 found that internal documents and tests found that tested commercial baby foods were “contaminated with significant levels of toxic heavy metals.” The study found that baby food products manufactured by all companies surveyed included 4. It was found to contain at least one of the three major heavy metals. brand).
Although some of these pollutants occur naturally in the environment and are not inherently toxic in certain amounts, the heavy metals listed above are considered dangerous to children even in small amounts. These amounts are typically measured in parts per billion (ppb). This is a measurement used to determine the amount of a substance in other things, such as the amount of lead in a bottle of drinking water.
More importantly for the lawsuit, the investigation also uncovered internal documents showing that the companies were aware of the presence of these metals and, in some cases, were violating their own standards. In some cases, companies tested the raw materials but not the final product and still chose to use high arsenic and lead raw materials that exceeded internal standards.
“Our heavy metal testing is conducted as part of a monitoring program and not as a condition of product release. All tested products were sold commercially,” Nurcher told the subcommittee, according to the report.
Baby food contains up to 177 times more lead than allowed: study
Meanwhile, Hain’s (Earth’s Best Organic) final products contained 28% to 93% more arsenic than expected based on ingredient testing alone. More than 25% of tested baby foods sold by Nurture had inorganic arsenic in excess of 100 ppb, while Beech-Nut used ingredients in its baby food that contained as much as 913.4 ppb of arsenic and 886.9 ppb of lead. Only one company, Nurture, even tested for mercury, and the concentration was 10 ppb.
This compares to the FDA-set maximum values for bottled water (10 ppb inorganic arsenic, 5 ppb lead, and 5 ppb cadmium), which were used as a standard since there are no FDA regulations for heavy metals in baby food. The Environmental Protection Agency’s limit for mercury in drinking water is 2 ppb.
“Test results for baby food and its ingredients exceed those levels, including results up to 91 times higher than arsenic levels, up to 177 times higher than lead levels, up to 69 times higher than cadmium levels, and up to 5 times higher than mercury levels,” said a February report that reviewed Nurture, Beech-Nut, Hane and Gerber, the only parties to respond. The late September report included companies that had not previously responded to the survey.
In response to this, in February 2021, the FDA issued a “reminder” to baby food manufacturers regarding manufacturer standards.
Major baby brand ‘knowingly’ selling food containing heavy metals: lawsuit
The lawsuit points to these findings and a 2019 report by the nonprofit organization Happy Babies Bright Futures as evidence that the companies knew they were selling products containing levels of metals that, while not technically illegal, have been proven to cause adverse health effects.
“Defendants justify this callous disregard for the welfare of infants because, until recently, there were no regulations governing the presence of toxic heavy metals in baby food, and in the absence of regulations, they were free to consume them at will,” the complaint, filed between June 4 and June 10, says. It also claimed that the parents were never informed about the possible presence of these substances in the food and were therefore unable to make an informed decision.
The complaint accuses the company of negligence and other manufacturing liability and seeks a jury trial and judgment to “punish and deter” the brand.
What does the FDA do?
Contaminants in mass-produced foods, including baby food, are a focus of the MAHA movement. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced an initiative called “Operation Stork Speed” in March 2025 that planned to focus on testing infant formula for heavy metals and other contaminants.
The agency also launched a “Close to Zero” campaign to increase testing and reduce contamination of children’s food. Additionally, although this standard is not legally enforceable, it will become the first country to pass lead restrictions in baby food in 2025.
A bill called the Baby Food Safety Act, which would create enforceable limits, was reintroduced to Congress in April.
