Urgent recall for baby food in the US over fears of lead contamination

Pouches of baby food sold at an American supermarket chain have been recalled for possibly being tainted with lead.

The supermarket chain Publix stated it is recalling 4-ounce plastic pouches of GreenWise Pear, Kiwi, Spinach & Pea Baby Food because they have ‘the potential to be contaminated with elevated levels of lead’.

The chain based in Lakeland, Florida, initiated the voluntary recall on Friday after doing some routine sampling.

‘As part of our commitment to food safety, potentially impacted products have been removed from all store shelves,’ stated Publix spokesperson Maria Brous.

‘To date, there have been no reported cases of illness. Consumers who have purchased the product in question may return the product to their local store for a full refund.’

The baby food was produced by Bowman Andros LLC and was distributed to Publix grocery stores across the eight states where the company operates – Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia.

Items under the recall have the GTIN number 41415-00901, and it has a best by date of November 1, 2025.

Publix has notified the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), a federal agency that among its duties regulates and monitors lead levels in foods.

Lead can have adverse health effects on people of all ages, but particularly those who are young.

‘High levels of exposure to lead in utero, infancy, and early childhood can lead to neurological effects such as learning disabilities, behavior difficulties, and lowered IQ,’ states the FDA on its website.

‘The very young are particularly vulnerable to the potential harmful effects from lead exposure because of their smaller body sizes and rapid metabolism and growth.’

Publix is largest employee-owned company in the country with more than 260,000 associates, and runs 1,404 stores across the eight states.

The baby food recall comes five months after baby spoons sold by Amazon and Aldi were recalled over reports that they could break and cause choking.

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