Texas sues Nestlé and Gerber over heavy metals in baby food

The State of Texas, led by Attorney General Ken Paxton, has filed a lawsuit against Gerber Products Company and its parent company, Nestlé USA. The legal action, brought under the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act, alleges that the companies misled consumers regarding the safety and rigorous testing of their baby food products.

According to the investigation, Gerber allegedly used ingredients containing high levels of heavy metals. Specifically, between 2017 and 2019, 67 batches of rice flour reportedly contained arsenic concentrations exceeding nine times the federal limit for bottled water. Additionally, carrots used by the company showed cadmium levels up to 17 times the limit, while sweet potatoes contained lead levels nearly 10 times the threshold. The lawsuit further claims that the company performed infrequent testing for mercury.