By Treven Pyles
Posted on January 10th, 2022
As you may know, the congressional report whose results were made public in the winter of 2021 found dangerous concentrations of heavy metals in the baby food of seven major companies. However, what you may not know is that three of these manufacturers refused to cooperate during the investigation.
Out of the seven baby food companies whose products were found to contain alarming concentrations of cadmium, arsenic, lead, and mercury, Walmart, Campbell, and Sprout refused to cooperate with the Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy during the investigation. As a consequence, the people leading the investigation said that they were "greatly concerned that their lack of cooperation might be obscuring the presence of even higher levels of toxic heavy metals in their baby food products than their competitors' products."
Furthermore, the Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy noted in issuing the report that exposure to heavy metals has been known to cause permanent decreases in infant IQ levels, diminish future economic productivity, and increase the risk of future criminal and antisocial behavior. There is irrevocable scientific evidence that exposure to cadmium, arsenic, lead, and mercury can also lead to the development of autism in children. Naturally, this is very concerning for both parents and the general public.
These are the brand names under which Walmart and Campbell are currently selling their baby food products, as Sprout uses the same name the company has:
- Walmart - Parent's Choice
- Campbell - Plum Organics
Indeed, the refusal to cooperate of the three baby food manufacturers could very well indicate that their products are problematic when it comes to the content of toxic metals. What we know for sure about these three baby food companies is the following:
- Walmart sells baby food under the brand names Parent's Choice and Parent's Choice Organic for infants as young as four months
- Sprout Organic Foods puts on the market organic food products for children as young as six months
- Campbell sells infant and toddler food under the brand name Plum Organics for babies as young as four months
However, independent testing of Walmart, Sprout Organic Foods, and Campbell baby food confirmed that their products contain dangerous levels of heavy metals. Therefore, there might be a good reason why these large manufacturers of baby food were deterred from participating in the investigation of the Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy.
Walmart voluntarily recalled three lots of Parent's Choice Rice Baby Cereal
It is worthy of note that in the fall of 2021, Walmart issued a voluntary recall on three lots of Parent's Choice Rice Baby Cereal, which are manufactured by Maple Island, because of high levels of arsenic. "Walmart was advised and has pulled the product from its store shelves and put a register block on the product at its stores and online to prevent further sales," said the Food and Drug Administration.
Nevertheless, what could solve the serious issue of heavy metals in baby food once and for all is the Baby Food Safety Act of 2021, which was introduced on March 26. It proposes to set limits for all of the four toxic metals of concern in baby food, as, at the moment, there are no official limits, which is very unsettling. The absence of permissible limits for heavy metals in baby food gives companies leverage to skip testing for harmful substances in their ingredients and finished products and to ultimately place financial profit over the health of children.
Our attorneys will provide you with quality legal assistance if you fed your child toxic baby food
Since 1990, we have been offering people affected by toxic exposure the legal assistance they need to recover the financial compensation they deserved from the liable companies. If you fed your child baby food with heavy metals and they came to struggle with autism, we encourage you to contact our legal staff, as you are most likely eligible to file a toxic baby food claim.
You just have to give us a call, explain your situation, answer a series of questions, and send us a copy of the medical records of your child.
After a careful review of your case, our lawyers will determine whether you qualify for filing a toxic baby food claim. If you do, they will shortly begin preparing it for submission while you can carry on as usual, as your participation will only be necessary during the preliminary steps of the legal process. In the end, you will benefit from the money you are entitled to from the culpable baby food manufacturers, which will help you afford better healthcare and treatment for your child, among other things.
