Texas Investigates Gerber, Plum Organics For Heavy Metals In Baby Food

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Texas Attorney General (AG) Ken Paxton has launched an investigation into baby-food manufacturers Gerber and Plum Organics for allegedly misleading consumers astir nan information of their products. 

In a connection issued connected 26 August, Paxton’s agency said nan investigation targets “major babe nutrient manufacturers who person perchance violated nan rule by deceptively advertizing and trading products that incorporate vulnerable levels of dense metals”. 

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Paxton’s agency revealed that Civil Investigative Demands person been served to some Gerber and Plum Organics.

Gerber is simply a portion of Swiss nutrient elephantine Nestlé and offers cereals, snacks and beverages.  

Plum Organics is besides focused connected babe nutrient and offers a statement of its ain integrated products specified arsenic Teensy Snacks, Mighty Snack Bars, and pureed pouches nether nan Plum Organics name. 

The investigation is focused connected nan beingness of dense metals specified arsenic arsenic, lead, cadmium, and mercury, which are known to origin encephalon harm successful young children.  

The AG’s agency said that immoderate US babe nutrient manufacturers person group their soul standards for toxic dense metallic contented astatine levels considered “unreasonably dangerous”, while allegedly making “misrepresentations” astir nan wellness benefits of their products. 

Paxton added: “No genitor should ever person to interest that nan nutrient they are giving their children is filled pinch dangerously precocious levels of dense metals.” 

In response, a Gerber typical told Just Food: “We regularly trial for much than 500 toxins and contaminants, and our products must walk much than 100 individual value checks earlier being sold. All of our babe foods meet FDA limits for dense metals, arsenic good arsenic our ain strict standards.”  

Just Food has contacted Plum Organics for comment. 

“We will conflict to extremity nan surgery strategy that has led to nutrient products threatening nan wellness of our children and unafraid justness for immoderate genitor misled by babe nutrient manufacturers engaging successful deceptive practices. Together, we will Make America Healthy Again,” Paxton said.  

The investigation comes amid accrued scrutiny complete nan creation of nutrient and beverages sold successful nan US, a attraction that has intensified since President Trump assumed agency earlier this year. 

US Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has criticised nan nation’s nutrient and beverage industry for “poisoning” nan American citizens. 

During nan US Senate proceeding to see Kennedy’s information to go US Secretary of Health and Human Services successful January, he promised to “scrutinise nan chemic additives successful our nutrient supply”. 

Separately, nan Food and Drug Administration announced successful April its volition to shape retired nan usage of petroleum-derived nutrient dyes by nan extremity of nan adjacent year.  

Several awesome US nutrient companies, including JM Smucker, Nestlé and Conagra Brands, person already outlined plans to destruct synthetic dyes from their products.

Earlier this month, Paxton announced WK Kellogg had entered into a legally binding agreement to region “toxic dyes” from its meal cereals,.