*The Office of the Attorney-General of Washington D.C., in the United States, has instituted a legal action against the Beech-Nut Nutrition Company for misleading consumers with incorrect product information about its foods containing high levels of toxic heavy metals that can lead to lifelong health complications

Alexander Davis | 绿帽献妻

For apparently misleading consumers, especially parents about the health and safety of its products, Karl A. Racine, Attorney-General of Washington D.C., United States (US), has slapped baby food manufacturer Beech-Nut Nutrition Company with a lawsuit.

In the lawsuit, Racine has alleged that Beech-Nut鈥檚 slogan 鈥渞eal food for babies鈥� is anything but deceitful.

绿帽献妻 gathered the Washington, D.C. Attorney-General said: 鈥淚t reassures parents of the safety of its products through the use of words and phrases in its marketing and advertising such as 鈥榥atural,鈥� 鈥榥aturals,鈥� 鈥�100% natural,鈥� 鈥榦rganics,鈥� 鈥榡ust sweet potatoes鈥� (as an example), 鈥榥on-GMO project verified,鈥� and 鈥榥othing artificial added.鈥� 鈥�

Beech-Nut baby foods聽 聽Photo: PackagingDigest

However, the lawsuit contends that Beech-Nut foods contain high levels of toxic heavy metals, contradicting Beech-Nut鈥檚 vow that it 鈥渃onduct[s] over 20 rigorous tests on our purees, testing for up to 255 pesticides and heavy metals (like lead, cadmium, arsenic and other nasty stuff).鈥�

The Attorney-General also accused Beech-Nut of speaking out of both sides of its mouth when it signalled to consumers that it is 鈥渁ware of no higher standards in the industry than the ones we employ,鈥� and that 鈥淛ust like you would, we send the produce back if it鈥檚 not good enough.鈥�

Racine further stated: 鈥淧arents across the District and the country trusted Beech-Nut when it advertised its baby food products as organic and safe.

鈥淏ut the reality is much different, as parents unknowingly fed their babies food containing high levels of toxic metals which can lead to lifelong health complications,鈥� Racine stated.

He added: 鈥淣o company should profit by illegally deceiving parents about products that actually jeopardise the health and safety of their children.

鈥淲e are seeking to put a stop to it and put other baby food companies on notice that they must provide truthful and complete information about their products.

鈥淎dditionally, federal regulators and Congress need to take action to help ensure baby food is safe.鈥�

In compounding the companies鈥� woes in committing alleged infractions, it was learnt baby food lawsuits and congressional concerns have started rolling in.

Added to Beech-Nut鈥檚 distress is its inclusion in a class action lawsuit filed February 2021, that claimed the company (and others) misrepresented the heavy metals in their baby foods.

Baby foods in general reportedly have had a rough year so far. AboutLawsuits reports that at least 38 proposed baby food class action lawsuits have been filed throughout the federal court system since February.

All of the lawsuits involved allegations that popular baby food products contained high levels of arsenic, lead, and mercury.

The Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy in the US House of Representatives also released a report in February called 鈥淏aby Foods Are Tainted with Dangerous Levels of Arsenic, Lead, Cadmium, and Mercury.鈥�

In that report, the Committee requested internal documents and test results from seven of the U.S.鈥� largest manufacturers of baby food, including: Nurture, Inc., which sells Happy Family Organics, including baby food products under the brand name HappyBABY

Beech-Nut Nutrition Company

Hain Celestial Group, Inc., which sells baby food products under the brand name Earth鈥檚 Best Organic

Gerber

Campbell Soup Company, which sells baby food products under the brand name Plum Organics

Walmart Inc., which sells baby food products through its private brand Parent鈥檚 Choice

Sprout Foods, Inc.

Plaintiffs in 43 lawsuits over toxic metal contamination in baby foods filed a motion in March asking for the cases to be consolidated in New York federal court.

Consumers weigh in

In a look at past consumer sentiment regarding Beech-Nut baby food products, the company mustered slightly more than a one-star rating, coupled with a significant number of negative comments by reviewers, reports ConsumerAffairs.