What’s so alarming about this is that even low concentrations of heavy metals can harm your child’s body and brain development. It can lead to IQ decline and behavioral issues. (3)(4) Sprout Organic Baby Foods by Sprout Foods, Inc. are among the top name brands trusted by many parents to provide proper nutrition for babies. But it’s also among the brands called out by the 2021 Congressional Reports on baby food safety for making products with exceedingly high levels of heavy metals. (5) How did companies like Sprout Foods, Inc. react to the Congressional Reports? Was there any Sprout Baby Food recall issued afterward? Have there been any other Sprout products recalled in the past? Has the company figured in other baby food safety reports? Find out more below. (6)
Sprout Baby Food Recalls
There have been no baby food recall advisories or product safety warnings from the company regarding any issue involving their baby foods. Also, like the other companies called out in the Congressional Report for making baby foods containing high levels of toxic metals, Sprout Foods, Inc. (Sprout Organic Foods) hasn’t issued a relevant safety warning or recall. (5)(7) But this isn’t the first food safety issue for Sprout and these other baby food companies. It was also included in the list of manufacturers with dangerous levels of toxic heavy metals in separate tests done by Consumer Reports (2018) and HBBF (Healthy Babies Bright Futures, 2019). (2)(6) Yet, the company hasn’t recalled any product concerning any of these baby food safety reports. (2)(6)(7)
Sprout Baby Food In Congressional Reports
First Subcommittee Congressional Report
The Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy of the House of Representatives released a detailed baby food safety report over the high heavy metal content on products made by popular manufacturers in February 2021. (5)
Which Baby Food Brands Are Toxic?
Headed by Chairman Raja Krishnamoorthi, the Subcommittee asked these baby food companies to submit internal policies and test results on heavy metals: (5)
Sprout Foods, Inc. (Sprout Organic Foods) Nurture, Inc. (HappyBABY, HappyTOT, and Happy Family Organics) Beech-Nut Nutrition Company (Beech-Nut) Hain Celestial Group, Inc. (Earth’s Best Organic) Gerber Campbell’s Plum Organics Walmart Inc. (Parent’s Choice)
Only four baby food makers sent their test results and internal policies for the first Congressional Report: (5)
Gerber Beech-Nut Nurture Hain
Campbell Soup Company (Plum Organics) was only able to provide these data in the second Congressional Report. But the rest, Walmart and Sprout, still didn’t update the Subcommittee with their internal policies. (7) According to the first Congressional Report, these baby food manufacturers have dangerous levels of toxic heavy metals that exceeded government regulations several times. (5) To ensure their products pass, the companies reportedly increased the maximum limits in their internal policies. (5) For example, the FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) set these maximum limits, in ppb (parts per billion), for bottled water: (8)
5 ppb lead 5 ppb cadmium 10 ppb inorganic arsenic
Instead of following the limits, these baby food makers increased their internal limits to much higher levels: (5)
Hain (cadmium): 200 ppb Hain (lead): 200 ppb Beech-Nut (cadmium): 3,000 ppb Beech-Nut (lead): 5,000 ppb
Also, the maximum limit for inorganic arsenic in infant rice cereal is 100 ppb. But these companies set their internal maximum limits to these: (5)(8)
Beech-Nut (arsenic): 3,000 ppb Hain (arsenic): 200 ppb Nurture (arsenic): 115 ppb
The maximum limit for drinking water (but may also apply to food) is 2 ppb mercury, according to EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) guidelines. (9)
Does Sprout Baby Food Contain Arsenic?
According to the Subcommittee, Sprout Foods, Inc. never responded. So, these test results for Organic Quinoa Puffs Baby Cereal Snack (flavor: Apple Kale) are from the HBBF report: (2)(5) Inorganic Arsenic:
Up to 107 ppb
Mercury:
Up to 1.31 ppb
Lead:
Up to 39.3 ppb
Cadmium:
Up to 41.5 ppb
Second Congressional Report
The Subcommittee’s new report in September 2021 shows that the companies still produce baby foods with dangerous levels of inorganic arsenic and other heavy metals. (5)(7) None of the baby food companies issued any food safety warning nor recalled their products with toxic metal content. (7)
Is There A Lawsuit Against Baby Food?
Sprout Foods, Inc. faces a class suit in the state of California, USA, for “negligent, reckless, and/or intentional practice of misrepresenting and failing to fully disclose the presence of dangerous substances in its baby foods.” (10) The class suit cites the Congressional Report as the basis, quoting the Subcommittee’s statement about commercial baby foods having significant levels of toxic heavy metals. (10) The company also faces another lawsuit alongside Beech-Nut Nutrition Company, Campbell Soup Company, Gerber Products Company, Hain Celestial Group, Nurture, Inc, and Walmart filed in the District of Kansas, USA. (11) The Kansas class suit argued: (11) Sprout Foods, Inc. also faces a class-action lawsuit in New Jersey, USA, for “mislabeling” its baby foods as “organic” and “healthy” despite containing unsafe toxic metal levels. (12) Several companies have promised and reassured parents that their baby food products are pure, natural, safe, and healthy; in reality, these products contain heavy metals that are not pure, unnatural, unsafe, and pose a major risk to babies and infants.” In response, the company asked the judge to dismiss this class suit, pointing to the FDA as the regulatory authority over the issue on acceptable heavy metal levels: (12)
HBBF Comprehensive Food Safety Test
Independent tests of 168 baby foods from different brands commissioned by the HBBF showed the following results: (2)
Arsenic: 73% of tested baby foods Lead: 94% of tested baby foods Mercury: 32% of tested baby foods Cadmium: 75% of tested baby foods
As much as 26% of these baby foods contain all four toxic chemicals in one container. (2)
Sprout Baby Food in HBBF Study
These Sprout Organic products have high toxic metal content based on the HBBF study: (2) Organic Quinoa Puffs Baby Cereal Snack – Apple Kale
Total arsenic: 107 ppb
Inorganic arsenic: 47 ppb
Lead: 39.3 ppb
Cadmium: 41.5 ppb
Mercury: 1.31 ppb
Organic Crispy Chews Red Fruit Beet & Berry with Crispy Brown Rice (Toddler Fruit Snack)
Total arsenic: 19.2 ppb
Inorganic arsenic: (not measurable)
Lead: 7.7 ppb
Cadmium: 1.2 ppb
Mercury: 0.185 ppb
Prunes Organic Baby Food (Stage 1, starting solids)
Total arsenic: 3.9 ppb
Inorganic arsenic: (not measurable)
Lead: 6.1 ppb
Cadmium: <0.5 ppb
Mercury: <0.245 ppb
Carrot Apple Mango Organic Baby Food (Stage 2, 6 months & up)
Total arsenic: 6.1 ppb
Inorganic arsenic: (not measurable)
Lead: 2.1 ppb
Cadmium: 15.1 ppb
Mercury: <0.131 ppb
The following Sprout Baby Food products have measurable toxic heavy metal content, but the values are within government regulations: (2)
Garden Vegetables Brown Rice with Turkey (for 8 months & up, Stage 3) Butternut Chickpea Quinoa & Dates Organic Baby Food
Consumer Reports Food Safety Test
Consumer Reports tested 50 baby foods for heavy metals in 2018: (6)
Nearly 68% of baby foods may have high levels of at least one toxic metal. At least 15 baby foods can have potential health risks if eaten daily Products with sweet potatoes or rice may contain higher toxic metal levels Organic foods may have the same amount of heavy metals as conventional baby foods
Based on Consumer Reports’ tests, these products are categorized as “more concern” due to high toxic metal content. You can follow these daily serving limits: (6) Sprout Organic
Quinoa Puffs Baby Cereal Snack, Apple Kale (<1.5 servings) Garden Vegetables Brown Rice With Turkey (<1 serving)
Happy Baby Organics
Organic Probiotic Baby Cereal (<3 servings) Organics Superfood Puffs, Apple & Broccoli (<1 serving) Organics Superfood Puffs, Purple Carrot & Blueberry (<1 serving)
Beech-Nut
Classics Sweet Potatoes (<0.5 serving) Complete Rice Single Grain Baby Cereal (<3 servings) Complete Oatmeal Whole Grain Baby Cereal (<2.5 servings) Organic Oatmeal Whole Grain Baby Cereal (<2.5 servings)
Earth’s Best Organic
Chicken & Brown Rice (<1 serving) Sunny Days Snack Bars, Strawberry (<1 serving) Whole Grain Oatmeal Cereal (<2.5 servings) Sweet Potatoes, 1st Stage (<0.5 serving) Whole Grain Rice Cereal (<1 serving)
Baby Mum-Mum
Banana Rice Rusks (<3 servings) Vegetable Rice Rusks (3 servings)
Plum Organics
Little Yums Organic Teething Wafers, Pumpkin & Banana (<5.5 servings) Just Sweet Potato Organic Baby Food (<1 serving) Mighty Sticks Whole Grain Snacks, Berry Beet (<1.5 servings)
Gerber
Turkey & Rice (<1 serving) Lil’ Meals flavor White Turkey Stew With Rice and Vegetables (<0.5 serving) Carrot, Pear & Blackberry (<1 serving) Carrots Peas & Corn With Lil’ Bits (<1 serving) Oatmeal Single Grain Cereal (<2.5 servings) Organic Oatmeal Cereal (<2.5 servings) Graduates Arrowroot Cookies (<6 servings) Graduates Cinnamon Graham Animal Crackers (<4.5 servings) Graduates Banana Cookies (<4 servings) Graduates Waffle Wheels Puffed Grain Snack, Banana Cream (<3 servings) Graduates Lil’ Biscuits Vanilla Wheat (<2.5 servings) Graduates Cereal Bars, Strawberry Banana (<1.5 servings)
Parent’s Choice (Walmart)
Little Puffs Cereal Snack, Strawberry Apple (<1.5 servings)
What Is The Safest Baby Food?
These can be a healthier alternative for your baby:
Little Spoon (subscription-based) Yumi (subscription-based) Little Journey Organics Once Upon A Farm Serenity Kids
Preparing Healthier Alternatives At Home
The AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics) advises parents to provide young children with various foods to help reduce the toxic heavy metal levels in their diet. (13) HBBF and Consumer Reports recommend the following healthier food options: (2)(6) High-Risk Food: Infant rice cereal or other snacks made from rice flour (including puffs) Heavy Metals: Lead, arsenic, and cadmium Healthier Snack Alternatives:
Rice-free packaged snacks Multigrain snacks Apples Applesauce (unsweetened) Bananas Barley with diced vegetables Beans Cheese Grapes Hard-boiled eggs Peaches Yogurt
High-Risk Food: Rice rusks or teething biscuits Heavy Metals: Lead, arsenic, and cadmium Healthier Alternatives:
Frozen banana Peeled and chilled cucumber
High-Risk Food: Single grain rice cereal Heavy Metals: Arsenic Healthier Alternatives:
Non-rice or multigrain cereals Oatmeal Corn Barley Quinoa
High-Risk Food: Fruit juices from apple, grape, pear, and others Heavy Metals: Lead and arsenic Healthier Alternatives:
Tap water Whole or puree fruits (applesauce)
High-Risk Food: Sweet potatoes and carrots Heavy metals: Lead and cadmium Healthier Alternatives:
These vegetables are important in your baby’s diet because they’re rich in vitamin A and other nutrients. But you still need to limit your baby’s intake of these vegetables. Serve them together with other veggies, instead.
You may also opt to use these ingredients to make your baby’s food at home: (7)
Quality meats, poultry, or fish Healthy fats (coconut oil, olive oil, or ghee) Whole or puréed vegetables and fruits (avocados, apples, bananas, peaches, grapes, and strawberries) Organic eggs Bone broth Raw yogurt Coconut yogurt Quinoa Oats
You can also follow these guidelines: (2)(6)
Avoid using brown rice (it has a higher inorganic arsenic content than white rice) Healthier alternatives: White basmati rice (from California, India, and Pakistan) or sushi rice from the US Prepare rice with more water (6-10 parts water per 1 part rice). Drain afterward. Avoid chocolates Avoid high-mercury fish: king mackerel, shark, swordfish, bigeye tuna, and orange roughy.
Other Companies In The Congressional Reports
Aside from Sprout Foods, Inc., these baby food makers were also listed on the Congressional reports: (5)(7)
Nurture, Inc. (HappyBABY, Happy Family Organics, and HappyTOTS)
Nurture is the only baby food maker that tested both its ingredients and finished products for heavy metal content. (5) Yet the results were alarming, with many of its food products having high levels of toxic heavy metals. (5) It turns out that Nurture doesn’t correct the products despite the test results. The company told the Subcommittee that the results aren’t used as a basis for product release. (5) These are the toxic metal test results from Nurture, Inc.: (5) Inorganic Arsenic:
Up to 100 ppb – over 25% of Nurture baby products Up to 160 ppb – Strawberry & Beet Puffs Up to 160 ppb – Banana & Pumpkin Puffs Up to 180 ppb – Apple & Broccoli Puffs
Mercury:
Up to 9.8 ppb – Banana Sweet Potato Up to 10 ppb – Brown Rice Cereal Canister
Lead:
Up to 10 ppb – Nurture vegetable and rice products Up to 560 ppb – Multi-Grain Cereal Canister Up to 641 ppb – Blueberry Purple Carrot
Cadmium:
Up to 5 ppb – close to 65% of Nurture products Up to 36 ppb – Strawberry Raspberry Up to 49 ppb – Multi-Grain Cereal Canister
Campbell Soup Company (Plum Organics) Results
Plum Organics refused to submit internal standards or any test results, according to the Subcommittee’s first report. The company insists on its finished products “meeting criteria.” (5) The following are test results for Plum Organics (flavor: Just Sweet Potato) from the HBBF report: (2) Mercury:
Less than 0.142 ppb
Inorganic Arsenic:
Up to 3.1 ppb
Lead:
Up to 5.6 ppb
Cadmium:
Up to 2.3 ppb
The test results of Plum Organics were finally included in the second Congressional Report. But the Subcommittee was alarmed that these showed alarmingly higher levels of toxic metals compared with the HBBF data: (7)
Arsenic: Over 200 ppb arsenic – in 100% of Plum’s Super Puff rice-based products Lead: Over 5 ppb lead – in 54.5% of Plum Organics products Cadmium: Over 5 ppb cadmium – in 38.3% of Plum Organics products
Gerber Products Company
Gerber told the Subcommittee that it only conducts heavy metal testing in raw materials. (5) Mercury:
No mercury test.
Inorganic Arsenic:
Up to 90 ppb – ingredient: rice flour
Lead:
Up to 48 ppb – ingredient: sweet potatoes
Cadmium:
Over 5 ppb in carrots – in 75% of raw ingredients Up to 87 ppb – ingredient: carrot batches No test for cadmium in other raw materials
Hain Celestial Group, Inc. (Earth’s Best Organic)
Hain told the Subcommittee Report that it only makes “theoretical calculations” based on the ingredients’ results to estimate the heavy metal content in their finished products. (5) Inorganic Arsenic:
Up to 309 ppb – ingredients Up to 129 ppb – finished products
Mercury:
No mercury test.
Lead:
Up to 352 ppb – raw materials
Cadmium:
Up to 260 ppb – ingredients
Walmart Inc. (Parent’s Choice)
Walmart didn’t submit anything to the Subcommittee. These results are from the HBBF report: (2)(5) Inorganic Arsenic:
Up to 108 ppb – Organic Strawberry Rice Rusks Up to 56.1 ppb – Little Hearts Strawberry Yogurt Cereal Snack
Mercury:
Up to 2.05 ppb – Organic Strawberry Rice Rusks Up to 0.941 ppb – Little Hearts Strawberry Yogurt Cereal Snack
Lead:
Up to 26.9 ppb – Organic Strawberry Rice Rusks Up to 5.2 ppb – Little Hearts Strawberry Yogurt Cereal Snack
Cadmium:
Up to 26.1 ppb – Little Hearts Strawberry Yogurt Cereal Snack Up to 2.4 ppb – version: Organic Strawberry Rice Rusks
Beech-Nut Nutrition Company (Beech-Nut)
Beech-Nut submitted test results and declared that everything passed internal standards. But the internal maximum limits used are much higher than government regulations: (5) Mercury:
No mercury test.
Inorganic Arsenic:
More than 300 ppb (in additives or ingredients used in different products) Up to 913.4 ppb (raw materials)
Lead:
Up to 886.9 ppb (raw materials)
Cadmium:
Up to 344.55 ppb (raw materials)
REFERENCES (1) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29706668/ (2) http://www.healthybabyfood.org/sites/healthybabyfoods.org/files/2019-10/BabyFoodReport_FULLREPORT_ENGLISH_R5b.pdf (3) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23570911/ (4) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4418502/ (5) https://oversight.house.gov/sites/democrats.oversight.house.gov/files/2021-02-04%20ECP%20Baby%20Food%20Staff%20Report.pdf (6) https://www.consumerreports.org/food-safety/heavy-metals-in-baby-food/ (7) https://oversight.house.gov/sites/democrats.oversight.house.gov/files/ECP%20Second%20Baby%20Food%20Report%209.29.21%20FINAL.pdf (8) https://www.fda.gov/food/metals-and-your-food/arsenic-food-and-dietary-supplements (9) https://www.epa.gov/mercury/what-epa-doing-reduce-mercury-pollution-and-exposures-mercury (10) https://classactionsreporter.com/sprout-baby-foods-heavy-metal-content-california-class-action/ (11) https://www.docketalarm.com/cases/Kansas_District_Court/2–21-cv-02096/Johnson_v._Beech-Nut_Nutrition_Company_et_al/1/ (12) https://topclassactions.com/lawsuit-settlements/lawsuit-news/baby-food-class-action-lawsuit-and-settlement-news/1029905-sprout-baby-food-co-says-fda-responsible-toxic-heavy-metal-in-bid-to-dismiss-class-action/ (13) https://www.aappublications.org/news/2021/05/01/parentplus-babyfoodmetal050121
