Sprout Organics Baby Food Recall Expanded Over Lead Levels in Sweet Potato Apple and Spinach Pouches

Toxic heavy metals like lead have been linked to a number of developmental issues in children, including autism and ADHD.

Sprout Organics has expanded a recall of its Sweet Potato Apple and Spinach pouches sold online and at Walgreens, adding to growing concerns about widespread heavy metal contamination in baby food products.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced the expanded Sprout Organics Sweet Potato Apple and Spinach recall on September 23, indicating that additional lots of the product may be contaminated with elevated levels of lead, which could pose serious health risks for vulnerable children. 

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), no level of lead exposure is safe, as the heavy metal is linked to serious health problems such as high blood pressure, kidney damage and reproductive issues in adults, and can cause developmental delays, learning disabilities and behavioral problems in children.

Although health officials have taken steps over the past few decades to reduce the risk that children are exposed to heavy metals, several major baby food recalls have been issued in recent years, due to the presence of lead and other harmful ingredients.

As a result of widespread contamination of products sold by Sprout Organics, Gerber, Beech-Nut and other companies, a wave of toxic baby food lawsuits were filed over the past four years, with complaints alleging that the companies failed to properly test their products or warn parents about the risks, leading to children developing autism or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

The new recall expands a prior Sprout Organics Sweet Potato Apple and Spinach pouch recall issued on September 16, due to potentially elevated lead levels in the products.

The original recall only affected Sprout Organics Sweet Potato Apple and Spinach 3.5 oz. pouches sold at Walgreens and other independent stores in the southern region of the U.S., with lot code 4212 and expiration date October 29, 2025.

The recall has now been expanded to include Sprout Organics Sweet Potato Apple and Spinach 3.5 oz. pouches sold online or at Walgreens stores across the U.S., with lot codes and expiration dates:

• Lot 4212, Expiration date October 29, 2025
• Lot 4213, Expiration date October 30, 2025
• Lot 4282, Expiration date December 4, 2025
• Lot 4310, Expiration date February 4, 2026

Expiration dates and lot codes are printed on the bottom strip on the back of the pouch. Consumers who still have one of these products in their possession should return it to their local store for a full refund.

Although no illnesses have been reported in connection with this recall, the FDA is reminding consumers that the effects of lead may vary by the amount consumed, duration of exposure and child’s body weight. Long-term exposure can result in learning and developmental delays, as well as other health problems.

For more information, customers can contact Sprout Organics at 510-833-6089 Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. PT, or by email at info@sproutorganics.com.

Toxic Baby Food Lawsuits

Toxic metals in baby foods have been an ongoing concern since at least 2021, when a Congressional report confirmed that many baby food products manufactured and sold by Gerber, Beech-Nut Nutrition, Plum, Hain, Campbell, Walmart, Sprout and other companies contain dangerous levels of heavy metals.

As a result, an increase in toxic baby food lawsuits brought in federal courts across the country prompted the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML) to consolidate all baby food toxic metal injury lawsuits in April 2024, for discovery and pretrial proceedings in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California under District Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley.

One year later, Judge Corley cleared the majority of toxic baby food lawsuits to move forward, totalling 156 claims, which was nearly three times the number of claims that had been filed by late 2024.

In addition, the Texas Attorney General launched an investigation into Gerber and Plum Organics earlier this month, over unreasonably high levels of lead, arsenic, cadmium and mercury in their baby food products.

While the outcome of the Texas probe will not have any binding impact on toxic baby food lawsuits, it will be closely watched as the conclusions may influence settlement negotiations to resolve this litigation.

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