Publix has recalled baby food due to lead levels. What shoppers should know
Publix announced the recall on its website on May 9 and it applies to all 1,404 stores in the Lakeland-based chain. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration posted its recall announcement on Thursday.
The problem with lead
Exposure to lead, even small amounts, can be harmful to children, especially those ages 6 and younger, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Lead can harm the brain and nervous systems and lead to developmental problems like growth and speech.
What to look for
The recalled baby food comes in 4-ounce pouches of GreenWise Pear, Kiwi, Spinach & Pea Baby Food with a best by date of 11/1/2025. The Global Trade Item Number (GTIN) is 41415-00901.
Bowman Andros produced and distributed the baby food from its Virginia plant for Publix.
Where was the baby food sold?
The Pear, Kiwil, Spinach & Pea Baby Food was sold in the eight states Publix has stores in: Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia and Kentucky.
How did Publix find the problem?
Publix discovered the problem in North Carolina and initiated the recall after routine sampling discovered elevated amounts of lead.
North Carolina agricultural officials found levels at 13.4 parts per billion in the samples, according to ABC News. In January, the FDA offered a guidance report that recommended a limit of 10 parts per billion for products intended for babies and young children.
'As part of our commitment to food safety, potentially impacted products have been removed from all store shelves,' Publix Director of Communications Maria Brous said in the FDA recall announcement. 'To date, there have been no reported cases of illness.'
What you should do
Consumers who have purchased the GreenWise Pear, Kiwi, Spinach & Pea Baby Food may return the pouches to their local store for a full refund, Brous said.
Publix customers with additional questions can call the customer care department at 800-242-1227.
Target baby food recall
Miami's Fruselva USA recalled two lots of Good & Gather baby Pea, Zucchini, Kale & Thyme Vegetable Puree that it manufactures for Target stores nationwide in March. The concern? The possibility it contained too much lead.
That Target baby food recall covered lot Nos. 4169 with a best by date of Dec. 9, 2025, and 4167 with a best by date of Dec. 7, 2025. About 25,600 4-ounce bowls were in that recall.
Miami Herald reporter David J. Neal contributed to this report.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Newsweek
28 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Frozen Pasta Alert Map Shows States With New Warning
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) issued a public health alert for frozen pork and beef tortellini due to the product potentially containing toasted ravioli that may have soy and sesame, which is not noted on the label. Why It Matters The latest recalls and health alerts underscore the persistent risks in the U.S. food supply related to allergen mislabeling, bacterial contamination and foreign-object hazards. With millions of Americans relying on frozen meals for convenience, such alerts are critical for preventing illness, allergic reactions or physical harm. Numerous recalls have been initiated in 2025 due to the potential for damaged products, foodborne illness, contamination and undeclared food allergens. Millions of Americans experience food sensitivities or allergies every year. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the nine "major" food allergens in the U.S. are eggs, milk, fish, wheat, soybeans, Crustacean shellfish, sesame, tree nuts and peanuts. The frozen pasta is not being recalled "because the products are no longer available for purchase," the FSIS says. What to Know The frozen pork and beef tortellini that may contain the toasted ravioli were produced on May 27, 2025. The product was in a 16-ounce package labeled Schnucks Tortellini PORK & BEEF with a best-by date of May 27, 2026, the FSIS says. "The product subject to the public heath alert bears establishment number 'EST. 13051' inside the USDA mark of inspection," the alert notes. The manufacturer, P.E. & F Inc. DBA DiMare's Specialty Foods, told Newsweek via email Wednesday that 312 packages are affected by the alert. Below is a map of the states impacted by the alert, which include Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin and Missouri. What People Are Saying The FSIS, in its alert: "The problem was discovered when the establishment notified FSIS that their sole consignee received a consumer complaint of ravioli product in a bag labeled as tortellini," adding, "FSIS is concerned that some product may be in consumers' freezers. Consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase." The FDA, on its website: "Food allergies and other types of food hypersensitivities affect millions of Americans and their families. Food allergies occur when the body's immune system reacts to certain proteins in food. Food allergic reactions vary in severity from mild symptoms involving hives and lip swelling to severe, life-threatening symptoms, often called anaphylaxis, that may involve fatal respiratory problems and shock." What Happens Next Customers who have food safety questions can call the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 888-MPHotline or via email at MPHotline@ the alert says.
Hamilton Spectator
an hour ago
- Hamilton Spectator
More Trump administration figures who met Laura Loomer's ire are out. A look at her influence
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — President Donald Trump has downplayed the influence of Laura Loomer, a right-wing provocateur known for her incendiary social media presence, in his administration's decision-making. But the list of administration officials who have drawn Loomer's ire and swiftly thereafter gotten the axe from Trump has been growing. Among the latest is Dr. Vinay Prasad, the Food and Drug Administration's polarizing vaccine chief, who announced this week he was leaving the agency after a brief tenure that drew the ire of biotech executives, patient groups and conservative allies of Trump. Prasad had recently become a target of right-wing activists, including Loomer, who flagged Prasad's past statements criticizing Trump and praising liberal independent Sen. Bernie Sanders . On Wednesday, Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll directed the U.S. Military Academy at West Point to remove Jen Easterly , a newly announced hire who led the nation's cybersecurity agency under President Joe Biden , shortly after Loomer criticized her. Loomer, who has publicly encouraged Trump to purge aides who she believes are insufficiently loyal to the 'Make America Great Again' agenda, has taken credit for some of the ousters, tearing into some of Trump's allies and advisers and calling out what she calls a 'vetting crisis' within the White House. Trump, meanwhile, has long praised Loomer while distancing himself at times from her most controversial comments and downplaying her direct impact on his choices. Here's a rundown on connections between Loomer's criticism and Trump administration departures: Vocal opposition to Health and Human Services appointees Two people familiar with the situation told The Associated Press that Prasad was ousted following several recent controversies. The people spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal personnel matters. Last week, Loomer posted on X of Prasad, 'How did this Trump-hating Bernie Bro get into the Trump admin???' Prasad did not immediately respond to requests for comment Wednesday morning. He joined the FDA in May after years as an academic researcher at the University of California , San Francisco, where he frequently criticized the FDA's approach to drug approvals and COVID-19 vaccines. Loomer was also vocal in opposition to Trump's first choice for surgeon general, whose selection was ultimately withdrawn. Trump pulled the nomination of former Fox News medical contributor Janette Nesheiwat just before Senate confirmation hearings in May. Loomer had posted on X that 'we can't have a pro-COVID vaccine nepo appointee who is currently embroiled in a medical malpractice case and who didn't go to medical school in the US' as the surgeon general. Criticism for 'Biden holdovers' Driscoll's directive that West Point remove Easterly , shared on X , came just a day after she was announced as the Robert F. McDermott Distinguished Chair in West Point's social sciences department. Easterly had served as director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, or CISA, facing harsh criticism from Republicans who argued that her work to counter misinformation about elections and the COVID-19 pandemic amounted to censorship. On Tuesday, Loomer posted on X about Easterly's new role at West Point, saying 'Biden holdovers' at the Defense Department were 'undermining' Trump's administration. Prompting departures at the National Security Council On April 3, Loomer presented 'research findings' to Trump, Vice President JD Vance , chief of staff Susie Wiles and others including then-national security adviser Mike Waltz , during an Oval Office meeting, according to people speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss personnel matters. A day later, Trump said he had fired 'some' White House National Security Council officials, downplaying Loomer's influence on the moves. The departures included the director of the National Security Agency, Air Force Gen. Tim Haugh , who also oversaw the Pentagon's Cyber Command, along with Haugh's civilian deputy at the NSA, Wendy Noble. When reached for comment, Loomer referred The Associated Press to an X post, saying she was not going to divulge any details about her Oval Office meeting with Trump 'out of respect' for the president. In a subsequent X post, Loomer appeared to take credit for the firings, writing, 'You know how you know the NSC officials I reported to President Trump are disloyal people who have played a role in sabotaging Donald Trump?' She noted, 'the fired officials' were being defended by Trump critics on CNN and MSNBC. Loomer called for Waltz's ouster in the weeks following revelations he had mistakenly added The Atlantic's editor-in-chief to a Signal chat being used to discuss military plans. As reports began to circulate that Waltz could be leaving the administration — he was ultimately nominated as United Nations ambassador — she appeared to take credit, writing 'SCALP' in an X post. A 'pressure campaign' targeting the Justice Department Adam Schleifer, an assistant U.S. attorney in Los Angeles, received an email in March saying he was being terminated 'on behalf of President Donald J. Trump,' according to a person familiar with the matter. The email came exactly an hour after Loomer called for him to be fired in a social media post that highlighted Schleifer's past critical comments about Trump while Schleifer was running in a Democratic primary for a congressional seat in New York. Earlier this month, Loomer took a victory lap after the Justice Department fired Maurene Comey , the daughter of former FBI director James Comey and a federal prosecutor in Manhattan who worked on the cases against Sean 'Diddy' Combs and Jeffrey Epstein , three people familiar with the matter told The AP. Comey's ouster, Loomer said on X, followed her two-month 'pressure campaign.' Has Loomer spoken out about others? Yes, chief among them Attorney General Pam Bondi . Loomer has called for Bondi's resignation over failure to keep promises to release more files from the Justice Department's sex trafficking investigation of Epstein, branding her a 'total liar.' Earlier this month, following DOJ's revelations that no Epstein 'client list' existed and no more files would be released, Loomer posted on X that she was told that FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino was 'seriously thinking about resigning' amid his ongoing clashes with Bondi over the case. Weeks later, both Bondi and Bongino were still on the job. What has Trump said about Loomer's role? In April, Trump denied that Loomer had anything to do with aides being ousted from their jobs at the National Security Council, calling her a 'very good patriot and a very strong person' who only made recommendations. 'Sometimes I listen to those recommendations, like I do with everybody,' Trump said then, adding: 'She's usually very constructive. She recommended certain people for jobs.' Loomer was seen traveling with Trump during last year's campaign, accompanying him on a trip to New York and Pennsylvania as he commemorated the 9/11 attacks. She also traveled with Trump to Philadelphia for a debate against then-Vice President Kamala Harris . Loomer said she never officially joined the campaign after Trump's allies preferred he would keep his distance. After a Harris-related post on X in which Loomer played on racist stereotypes , Trump called Loomer 'a supporter of mine' with 'strong opinions,' but denied knowledge of her comments. He later posted on his Truth Social account that he disagreed with what she had said. ___ Kinnard can be reached at .
New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
Oops, There May Be Vodka in That Energy Drink
Fans of a blue-raspberry-flavored energy drink may be in for a different kind of midafternoon jolt. An unspecified number of cans of Celsius, a caffeinated soft drink, were accidentally filled with vodka-spiked seltzer before they hit shelves, according to a recall notice issued on Tuesday by the Food and Drug Administration. The affected cans were shipped to retailers between July 21 and 23 as a part of beach-themed variety packs of High Noon alcoholic seltzers. 'The recall was initiated after High Noon discovered that a shared packaging supplier mistakenly shipped empty Celsius cans to High Noon,' the F.D.A. notice read. The agency advised that the mislabeled cans will have a telltale silver lid, rather than the black lid that is customary of Celsius drinks. So far, no cases of illness or 'adverse events' have been reported to the F.D.A., although some people online have worried that the drinks could be accidentally consumed by teenagers or alcoholics who abstain from drinking. The pharmacy chain CVS, which sells the High Noon variety packs in question, said the products could be returned to its stores. The incident quickly drew widespread attention, thanks in part to Celsius's reputation as the unofficial beverage of hustle culture. Most cans of Celsius contain 200 milligrams of caffeine, roughly equivalent to six cans of Coca-Cola. The drinks are beloved by fitness instructors, tech executives, investment bankers pulling all-nighters and politicians like Speaker Mike Johnson, who keeps a stash in his office fridge, according to The Washington Post. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
