Additionally, the Subcommittee found that actual finished-product testing showed that arsenic levels were between 28% and 93% higher in the finished Earths Best products than Hains estimations for arsenic levels based on ingredient testing. Beech-Nut used ingredients containing as much as 886.9 parts per billion of lead, according to the information supplied to the committee. According to the report, Beech-Nut, one of Gerbers major competitors, routinely used high-arsenic additives and ingredients containing up to 344 ppb cadmium. The data Gerber provided to the committee reveals that the company used rice flour very high in arsenic, carrots high in cadmium and a number of ingredients high in lead. Some of our frozen products are not organic but are all natural and non-GMO. Gluten is responsible for forming the structure of dough, holding products together and leavening. The European Union has set the maximum lead level in infant formula to 20 ppb. Thomas Hushen, a spokesman for Campbell, pushed back against the committees statement that the company did not comply with a request for information, producing a letter to Krishnamoorthi dated Nov. 6, 2019, saying that in internal testing, each product was well within levels deemed acceptable by independent authorities. Hain Celestial Group products that make a gluten-free claim are declared as such by utilizing a triangular Gluten-Free symbol, by carrying the Gluten-Free Certification Organization (GFCO) Seal, or stating gluten free on packaging. Campbell Soup, which sells Plum Organics baby foods, Walmart (its private brand is Parents Choice) and Sprout Foods declined to cooperate, according to members of the subcommittee. What they did was take food off store shelves and test it. FDA rolls back food rules for 5th time during pandemic. Like any food producer, we meet with regulatory and oversight agencies to refine and update our policies and procedures to ensure the safety of our products. Nevertheless, documents show that Earths Best Organic ingredients tested at exceedingly high levels of: Arsenic: Hain used ingredients that tested as high as 309 parts per billion (ppb) arsenic. It also reveals that Walmart, Campbell Foods, and Sprout Organic Foods refused to cooperate with the subcommittees investigation. We look forward to working with the FDA, in partnership with the Baby Food Council, on science-based standards that food suppliers can implement across our industry.. The Subcommittee reported that Hain underestimates toxic heavy metal levels in Earths Best Organic baby foods 100% of the time. For optimal growth and development, the FDA requires infant formulas to contain a certain mix of fats, and proteins as well as vitamins and minerals. Our rigorous internal standards and testing procedures ensure Earths Best products meet or exceed the current federal guidelines. Gluten is the general name for the proteins in wheat, rye and barley. Baum Hedlund has a proven track record in class actions and mass torts alleging consumer harm. Small amounts of these metals can be absorbed by food as it is grown. Baby food manufacturers should be required by FDA to test their finished products for toxic heavy metals, not just their ingredients. How do I read the expiration date on your products? In addition, Gerber used carrots containing as much as 87 ppb of cadmium and Nurture sold baby foods with as much as 10 ppb of mercury. Once we receive your case evaluation, our legal team reviews your potential case. Also, the data points include two outliers of high lead results, not replicable in our testing, but which we included for completeness and transparency. We are disappointed that the report examined outdated data and does not reflect our current practices. Parents may be eligible to file a lawsuit against Hain Celestial, Inc. and/or other baby food companies if their child developed autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and/or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) after consuming substantial quantities of Earths Best Organic baby foods. Brief Summary: In 2021, a Congressional subcommittee report found dangerously high amounts of arsenic, lead, cadmium, and mercury in Earths Best Organic baby food, and products from several other brands. To join the Earths Best Organic lawsuit, the first thing a potential claimant needs to do is contact a baby food lawyer for a case evaluation. A corporation of that size will have a formidable legal team to defend it and limit its financial exposure. Are there any hormones or antibiotics in earths best chicken? The government baby food report from 2021 did not implicate Earths Best formula products for high amounts of heavy metals. Nothing on this site should be taken as legal advice for any individual case or situation. Studies have concluded that arsenic exposure has a significant negative effect on neurodevelopment in children. This negative effect is most pronounced in Full Scale IQ, and more specifically, in verbal and performance domains as well as memory. The dairy ingredients used in our Earths Best Organic Infant Formula are from cows fed and raised according to organic regulations which include grass fed and organic feed. Companies are able to manufacture baby foods and eliminate or at least drastically reduce heavy metals by using alternative ingredients, not adding certain pre-mix minerals that have high levels of heavy metals, or sampling their ingredients from other sources. Some babies are sensitive to lactose. Our Sensitivity Infant Formula has a reduced level of lactose which is replaced with easy-to-digest corn syrup solids. We do not have lists of products that are specifically considered to be gluten free. Baby food producers may be adding ingredients into their products, such as vitamin and mineral mixes, that contain high levels of toxic heavy metals. Are there heavy metals in your baby food? Per the report, Hain Celestial and other major baby food companies knowingly sell purees, infant rice cereal, and snack puffs that contain dangerous amounts of toxic metals, including arsenic, lead, cadmium, and mercury. attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), Earths Best Organic Lawsuit | Toxic Heavy Metals. Despite knowing about the dangers, the company continues to bury its head in the sand, refusing to take responsibility for harming children. Hain told government officials involved in the baby food report that the company only tests its ingredients, not finished baby food products. At Baum Hedlund, our process for determining whether you qualify for an Earths Best lawsuit is very simple: This is a difficult question to answer. ), 53 nationally distributed beverage products recalled over microbial contamination, Company recalls sandwich wraps after government testing finds Listeria, Salmonella infections linked to peas sold at farmers markets in Wisconsin, Nearly 20,000 pounds of frozen pizza recalled over lack of federal inspection, Publishers Platform: Come on Roanoke, you can do better against hepatitis A, Publishers Platform: Colonel Colon and his League of Fecal Fighters coming soon to help make your food safer. You can learn more about Noahs case and the baby food litigation in this episode of Spotlight on America, an award-winning investigative news program airing on 90+ TV stations across the country. The Food and Drug Administration has declared that inorganic arsenic, lead, cadmium, and mercury have no established health benefit and lead to illness, impairment, and in high doses, death.. Once the products leave our distribution centers, temperature changes in the winter months or in transit can cause some jars to freeze and then thaw, which can result in unusual product texture such as separation and a dry or spongy appearance. FDA Standards: FDA should set maximum levels of inorganic arsenic, lead, cadmium, and mercury permitted in baby foods. We encourage you to visit the Find a Store section of our website. Hain, the maker of Earths Best Organic formulas and baby foods, was one of only four brands to cooperate with the Subcommittee by submitting heavy metals testing results and internal policies. For starters, make sure any attorney you consider has the experience and resources necessary to win a case of this magnitude. Mercury: Hain does not even test for mercury in baby food. FDA failed to warn consumers of risk. 2 on the ATSDRs list of potential health threats. If you have any further questions, please call us at 1-800-442-4221. Brothers Ron Koss and Arnie Koss founded Earths Best Organic, one of the countrys first organic food companies, in 1985. Beech-Nut routinely used high-arsenic additives that tested over 300 ppb arsenic to address product characteristics such as crumb softness.. Because they cannot be completely removed, our goal is to reduce exposure to toxic elements in foods to the greatest extent feasible and we have been actively working on this issue using a risk-based approach to prioritize and target the agencys efforts.. Our lawsuit alleges that Hain knows that the high levels of heavy metals in Earths Best Organic baby foods are harmful to babies and infants, in particular. Hain Celestial Group Inc., which sells baby food products under the brand name Earths Best Organic, Walmart Inc., which sells baby food products through its private brand Parents Choice, Sprout Foods Inc. which sells baby food under the name (Sprout Organic Foods, Campbell Soup Co., which sells baby food products under the brand name Plum Organics, Nurture Inc., which sells Happy Family Organics, including baby food products under the brand name HappyBABY. Beech-Nut used ingredients after they tested as high as 913.4 ppb arsenic. Do I Qualify for a Baby Food Lawsuit Against Hain? Arsenic is ranked as No. Is there BPA/BPS in your product packaging? A congressional report found many of the products made by the countrys largest commercial baby food manufacturers contain significant levels of toxic heavy metals, including arsenic, lead, cadmium and mercury, which can endanger infant neurological development. We changed the source of soy protein from USDA certified organic soy to non GMO sourced soy. Manufacturers should immediately reduce the levels of toxic heavy metals in their baby foods to as close to zero as possible. Lead is No. Krishnamoorthi says that the Hain presentation to the FDA revealed that naturally occurring toxic heavy metals in soil or water may not be the only problem causing the unsafe levels of toxic heavy metals in baby foods. A study of children in Spain found that increasing arsenic exposure led to a decrease in the childrens global motor, gross motor, and fine motor function scores. Also, because their organs are still developing, their risk from exposure to heavy metals is exacerbated. While our pouches are not currently recyclable, we are actively seeking solutions that will allow our pouches to be fully recycled. Manufacturers knowingly sell these products to unsuspecting parents, in spite of internal company standards and test results, and without any warning labeling whatsoever, says the conclusion section of the report. Nothing is more important to Earths Best than the trust and confidence of parents that our organic products provide safe nutrition for healthy babies. Reading the label is the best way to check for the presence of ingredients which contain gluten. How Do I Pick the Best Baby Food Lawyer for My Case?