The Hain Celestial Group, Inc. makes Earth’s Best Organic baby foods, which the complaint for this class action says “are marketed as high quality baby food with a focus on wholesome ingredients.” But this is a false impression, the complaint says, because “the Baby Foods contain levels of toxic heavy metals which exceed [Food and Drug Administration (FDA)] guidance and Hain Celestial’s own standards.”
The class for this action is all persons who, within the applicable statute of limitations period to the present, bought Hain Celestial’s tainted baby foods in the US, for personal or household use and not for resale.
The complaint cites the work of a House of Representatives Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy, Committee on Oversight and Reform, which issued a report on baby food on February 4, 2021. The report “confirm[ed] that commercial baby foods, including those sold by Hain Celestial, contain significant levels of toxic heavy metals, including arsenic, lead, cadmium, and mercury…”
This report follows another released in October 2019 by Healthy Babies Bright Futures which also found heavy metals in baby foods.
The complaint quotes the House report as saying, “Exposure to toxic heavy metals causes permanent decreases in IQ, diminished future economic productivity, and increased risk of future criminal and antisocial behavior in children.” The complaint says, “Nothing on the Baby Foods’ labels warns consumers of these elevated levels of toxic heavy metals.”
Instead, the complaint alleges, Hain presents its baby foods “as a safe, premium, healthy line of products which goes above and beyond in sourcing healthy, nutritious, and safe food for babies and toddlers.” Hain’s website describes its products as “time trusted and safe” and says they “are made from pure ingredients to help children grow up strong and healthy.” It says “you can trust Earth’s Best products to be safe for your baby.”
Nevertheless, the Subcommittee found heavy metals, including arsenic, lead, cadmium, and mercury present at “significant levels” in many baby food products.
The complaint quotes the report as saying that “naturally occurring toxic heavy metal may not be the only problem causing dangerous levels of toxic heavy metals in baby foods; rather baby food producers like Hain” are adding to the problem by “adding ingredients that have high levels of toxic heavy metals into their products, such as vitamin/mineral pre-mix.”
The complaint notes that the Subcommittee also criticized testing practices. The complaint alleges, “Hain typically only tested ingredients, which likely underrepresents the levels of toxic Heavy Metals in their finished Baby Foods.”
The complaint alleges that Hain’s standards for heavy metals are not good enough: “Hain Celestial sold finished baby food products containing as much as 129 ppb inorganic arsenic.” The complaint also alleges Hain used ingredients containing up to 352 ppb lead; and 102 ingredients that tested over 20 ppb lead and six that tested over 200 ppb lead. Finally, it says, “Hain Celestial does not even test for mercury in its baby food.”
Article Type: LawsuitTopic: Consumer
Most Recent Case Event
Hain Celestial Heavy Metals in Baby Food Complaint
June 22, 2021
The Hain Celestial Group, Inc. makes Earth’s Best Organic baby foods, which the complaint for this class action says “are marketed as high quality baby food with a focus on wholesome ingredients.” But this is a false impression, the complaint says, because “the Baby Foods contain levels of toxic heavy metals which exceed [Food and Drug Administration (FDA)] guidance and Hain Celestial’s own standards.”
Hain Celestial Heavy Metals in Baby Food ComplaintCase Event History
Hain Celestial Heavy Metals in Baby Food Complaint
June 22, 2021
The Hain Celestial Group, Inc. makes Earth’s Best Organic baby foods, which the complaint for this class action says “are marketed as high quality baby food with a focus on wholesome ingredients.” But this is a false impression, the complaint says, because “the Baby Foods contain levels of toxic heavy metals which exceed [Food and Drug Administration (FDA)] guidance and Hain Celestial’s own standards.”
Hain Celestial Heavy Metals in Baby Food Complaint