Gerber Baby Food Class Action Lawsuit Filed Over High Levels of Toxic Heavy Metals
Two mothers have filed a class action lawsuit against Gerber, alleging that dangerously high levels of toxic heavy metals in Gerber baby food placed their children, and countless other babies throughout the United States, at an increased risk of suffering long term neurological and developmental injuries.
The complaint (PDF) was filed by Hannah Dempsey and Kathleen Hood in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia on September 23, accusing Gerber of concealing the fact that their products contained arsenic, lead, cadmium and mercury, which are toxic and harmful to infants.
According to the lawsuit, Dempsey and Hood both purchased several lines of Gerber’s baby food products, including Gerber Natural Banana, Gerber Natural Sweet Potato, Gerber Natural Apples, Gerber Natural Carrots, Probiotic Banana Oatmeal and others from their local Walmart grocery stores.
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Toxic baby food sold by Gerber, Beech-Nut and other manufacturers contain dangerous levels of heavy metals, which may be the cause of autism and severe ADHD for children.
Learn More About this Lawsuit See If You Qualify For CompensationThe mothers claim they based their decision on which baby food to feed their infants on Gerber’s marketing claims and product labeling, which depicting the products as “organic” and safe for suitable consumption by babies, without any warning the products contained metals that can disrupt the neurological and developmental growth, potentially leading to the onset of autism and attention deficient disorder (ADHD).
The Gerger baby food lawsuit seeks class action status, alleging the companies placed children at risk in order to maximize profits, and indicates that if parents had known about the presence of heavy metals in the baby food, they would not have purchased the products, or would have paid far less than the premium prices at which they were sold.
Dempsey and Hood’s claim joins a growing number of individual and class action baby food lawsuits filed over the last several months, following a House Oversight Committee report released on February 4, which highlighted internal documents and testing data for baby food products manufactured by Gerber (d/b/a Nestlé Nutrition), Beech-Nut Nutrition, Plum and others.
The U.S. Congressional report found that some baby foods contain high levels of toxic metals, with more than 91 times the maximum level of arsenic allowed in bottled water; 177 times the allowable levels of lead, 69 times the limits on cadmium, and five times the levels of allowable mercury.
Earlier this year in March, an Arizona mother of three minor children, Valencia Gibson, filed a baby food lawsuit lawsuit against Gerber Products Company; Nurture, Inc.; Beech-Nut Nutrition Company; Plum, PBC; Hain Celestial group, Inc., and Sprout Foods Inc, saying that high levels of toxic metals recently found in their products caused her three children to each develop autism.
In April, New York Attorney General Letitia James issued a press release announcing a probe into Gerber, Beech-Nut, Hain (Earth’s Best Organic), and Nurture (HappyBABY); sending letters to each of the baby food manufacturers asking for additional information about levels of arsenic found in their products, as well as advertising and promotional techniques.
Although the manufacturers claim their products are safe and appropriately labeled, the FDA and U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have long maintained that exposing infants and children to toxic heavy metals can cause a permanent decrease in IQ, an increased risk of future criminal and antisocial behavior, and untreatable and frequently permanent brain damage.
Heavy metal exposure to infants is a serious concern. Lead exposure at any level is extremely unsafe for children. Prior studies have linked heavy metal exposure to behavioral impairments, brain damage, damage to the nervous system, seizures, growth impairments, and even death.
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20 Comments
KarenDecember 7, 2022 at 2:49 pm
My child jgetber food for about six months had to take Ritilian from nd to twelve th 3 times a day 10 msg for
LisaDecember 3, 2022 at 11:25 am
I fed both my kids this baby food thinking it was the healthy choice for them. They both, now 26 & 28 had to e in special school programs, saw a children's behavior specialist at Stanford, they both had IEP’s and school was a nightmare. How far back does this go? Please contact me with any information. Thank you
MichelleNovember 24, 2022 at 3:10 pm
I am diagnosed with sever adhd, so is my son and both daughter's my youngest is also has down syndrome. My mom feed me and my son Gerber baby food , however she fed my sister grounded up baby food because she wouldn't eat Gerber baby food at all. My son and I plus my daughter's are all ADHD diagnosed. My sister does not have ADHD.
VeronicaNovember 22, 2022 at 10:31 am
Both my sons, age 21 and 23 ate Gerber and Beechnut exclusively. My oldest was diagnosed w autism and my youngest w ADHD among other things. How far back does this go?
BandyJune 16, 2022 at 4:19 pm
I fed my son baby food such as Gerbers, Parents Choice and beech nut. He have Autism and ADHD and low IQ. He is now 16 and he were diagnosed at 3 years old.
JayJune 16, 2022 at 12:47 am
Our son ate these exclusively while we were in Japan. we moved there at 3 months old he was doing just fine and we started introducing baby food shortly after. He started showing regression on developmental milestones. He’s going to be 5 this July and just started walking. Nonverbal, wears leg braces, has an epileptic condition that is not explainable, and has had significant motor planing del[Show More]Our son ate these exclusively while we were in Japan. we moved there at 3 months old he was doing just fine and we started introducing baby food shortly after. He started showing regression on developmental milestones. He’s going to be 5 this July and just started walking. Nonverbal, wears leg braces, has an epileptic condition that is not explainable, and has had significant motor planing delays and neurological dysfunctions. No family history of any neurological related diseases. It’s been a very long and painful road. And now I’m wondering if this food is to blame. He used to eat 8 or more cartons a day.
TerinaJune 10, 2022 at 2:48 pm
My son was diagnosed with autism and ADHD at a very young age I would like to join the lawsuit.
JuanMay 19, 2022 at 1:57 pm
My son has consumed these products and has displayed abnormal behavior. He’s 15-months old and still does not walk or speak. We have been feeding him the recommended Gerber products. All of the products we purchase for him have been gerber brand. I am concerned about his mental development. We don’t have history in our family of any adhd or disorders Please help.
JenMay 18, 2022 at 10:29 pm
I fed Gerber to both of mine. The oldest is in the gifted kids program and the youngest (2) is developed well above her age. No warning signs of autism or ADHD. We can’t blame baby food for all of these issues….
PointerMay 18, 2022 at 3:41 pm
Very hurtful to think the food I was feeding my son has now cause him to show signs of autism
BrittanyMay 18, 2022 at 7:23 am
My son has also been fed these foods and still has been eating the white wafer disk and the rice and oatmeal until I just seen this but no more. He has NF type 1 and is currently on 2 chemotherapies due to 3 brain tumors.
AaronApril 20, 2022 at 6:38 pm
We have a son who is also a victim of these products. As we have had to enroll him into special needs programs for his autism and adhd due to what he ingested for his initial 2 and a half years of life.
KeshiaFebruary 18, 2022 at 10:13 pm
My son consumed one of the products at issue.
JustinFebruary 10, 2022 at 3:41 pm
I think we have a problem. We need a lawyer for our 4 year old twins.
MelissaJanuary 22, 2022 at 1:43 pm
My son ate Ferber foods, beech-but, plum organics and nurture happy family organics he now just turned 4 and has showed signs of autism at 3 and diagnosed by 4 with stage 3 ASD you’d think for babies humanity would make things healthy instead it now tearing down our children
MarkishaJanuary 16, 2022 at 10:44 am
I fed both of my children Gerber... And they both under 4 with Autism and ADHD and Developmental Delay, Epilepsy... Something needs to be done . I thought I was doing the right thing for my children not hurting them for the rest of there life it hurts me as a mother..
JamieDecember 25, 2021 at 8:25 pm
This is all my grandson ate and now he's showing major signs of adhd something needs to be done I thought I was doing the right thing for my grandson not hurting him for the rest of his life
KristyDecember 16, 2021 at 10:06 pm
I fed my son Gerber... He has ASD, Developmental Delay, Epilepsy... So does his older sister who was fed the same things....
CorissaDecember 5, 2021 at 6:22 pm
I fed my 3 kids Beech nut organic. All 3 have autism, with ADHD or developmental delay.
DiannaNovember 15, 2021 at 9:35 am
I feed all four of my children beechnut baby food and they all have either autism or ADHD and other birth defects