The Hain Celestial Group, Inc. makes baby foods. But the complaint for this class action refers to a February 2021 report from a House Subcommittee to claim that Hain’s baby foods “are tainted with significant and dangerous levels of toxic heavy metals, including arsenic, lead, cadmium, and mercury.”
The Nationwide Class for this action is all persons who bought the tainted baby foods in the US, during the applicable statute of limitations, for personal or household use and not for resale. New York and Florida Subclasses have also been proposed, for those who bought the tainted baby foods in those states.
The US House of Representatives Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy, Committee on Oversight and Reform produced a report dated February 4, 2021 called Baby Foods Are Tainted with Dangerous Levels of Arsenic, Lead, Cadmium and Mercury.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the World Health Organization (WHO) consider heavy metals to be dangerous for human beings, and even more dangerous to babies and children.
The complaint says, “Exposure to toxic heavy metals causes permanent decreases in IQ and endangers neurological development and long-term brain function, among numerous other deleterious alarming conditions and problems.”
Previously, in November 2019, the House Subcommittee asked for company documents and test results from seven baby food makers, one of which was Hain. Hain makes its baby food under the name Earth’s Best Organic.
The FDA and other groups have set guidelines for safe or maximum allowable levels for certain substances, including inorganic arsenic, lead, cadmium, and mercury. According to the complaint, “The test results of Hain (Earth’s Best Organic) baby foods and their ingredients eclipse those levels for inorganic arsenic, lead and cadmium and, shockingly, Hain does not even test for mercury in its baby food.”
The complaint claims that Hain usually tested only ingredients and not the finished products. Furthermore, it alleges that Hain has sold foods that surpass even its own “inadequate” standards.
Hain made a “secret slide presentation” to the FDA in August 2019. The complaint quotes the Findings from this even as saying, for example, “In 100% of the Hain baby foods tested, inorganic arsenic levels were higher in the finished baby food than the company estimated they would be based on individual ingredient testing. Inorganic arsenic was between 28% and 93% higher in the finished products.”
It speculated, therefore, that baby food makers “may be adding ingredients that have high levels of toxic heavy metals into their products, such as vitamin/mineral pre-mix.”
According to the complaint, “To this day, baby foods containing dangerous levels of toxic Heavy Metals bear no label or warning to parents.” However, the complaint says, Hain’s website describes its baby foods as “time-trusted and safe[.]”
Article Type: LawsuitTopic: Consumer
Most Recent Case Event
Hain Earth’s Best Organic Baby Food Levels of Heavy Metals Complaint
February 8, 2021
The Hain Celestial Group, Inc. makes baby foods. But the complaint for this class action refers to a February 2021 report from a House Subcommittee to claim that Hain’s baby foods “are tainted with significant and dangerous levels of toxic heavy metals, including arsenic, lead, cadmium, and mercury.”
Hain Earth’s Best Organic Baby Food Levels of Heavy Metals ComplaintCase Event History
Hain Earth’s Best Organic Baby Food Levels of Heavy Metals Complaint
February 8, 2021
The Hain Celestial Group, Inc. makes baby foods. But the complaint for this class action refers to a February 2021 report from a House Subcommittee to claim that Hain’s baby foods “are tainted with significant and dangerous levels of toxic heavy metals, including arsenic, lead, cadmium, and mercury.”
Hain Earth’s Best Organic Baby Food Levels of Heavy Metals Complaint