Publix recalls baby food pouches after testing finds elevated levels of lead
The supermarket chain Publix has recalled fruit and vegetable baby food sold in eight states because product testing found elevated levels of lead, according to federal health officials.
Publix recalled 4-ounce Greenwise Pear, Kiwi, Spinach & Pea Baby Food pouches sold at more than 1,400 stores.
The pouches were produced by Bowman Andros, a French company with a manufacturing plant in Mount Jackson, Virginia, according to the company's website. Publix issued the voluntary recall on May 9, but it wasn't added to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recall list until late Thursday.
The potential contamination was flagged by officials in North Carolina, the state that first identified a 2023 lead poisoning outbreak linked to tainted applesauce pouches that sickened more than 500 U.S. children.
Routine sampling of the baby food pouches found lead levels at 13.4 parts per billion, according to North Carolina agriculture officials. That exceeds the FDA's recommended limit of 10 parts per billion for such products intended for babies and young children.
Publix said all the potentially contaminated products have been removed from store shelves. No illnesses have been reported, the company said. Customers can return the pouches to local stores for full refund.
This is the second baby food pouch recall because of potential lead contamination in two months. In March, Target recalled more than 25,000 packages of its store brand Good & Gather Baby Pea, Zucchini, Kale & Thyme Vegetable Puree because of elevated lead levels.
North Carolina collaborates with the FDA to conduct routine testing of food products, officials said.
In 2023, state health officials investigated reports of lead poisoning in four children who consumed WanaBana apple cinnamon fruit puree. Those findings led to the detection of a nationwide outbreak linked to the pouches, which were widely sold in Dollar Tree and other stores. Tests showed they contained lead at levels 2,000 times higher than the FDA's maximum recommended level, as well as chromium.
Federal health officials eventually identified 566 cases of confirmed, probable or suspected cases of lead poisoning tied to the pouches in 44 states.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's childhood lead poisoning program investigated the applesauce outbreak and coordinated state and federal response. However, the program was eliminated in April as part of federal funding cuts under the Trump administration.
CDC officials didn't say whether or how the agency would respond to a similar outbreak now. A spokesperson said the agency is aware of the Publix baby food recall but hasn't been asked to assist with any investigation.
There is no safe level of lead exposure, according to CDC. While the heavy metal is toxic to people of all ages, it can be especially harmful to children, causing damage to the brain and nervous system and slow growth and development.
Heavy metals like lead can get into food products from soil, air, water or industrial processes, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.
___
The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNN
16 minutes ago
- CNN
UnitedHealthcare accused The Guardian of looking to ‘capitalize' on CEO's murder in lawsuit
UnitedHealthcare sued The Guardian and its parent on Wednesday for defamation, claiming the US version of the British daily newspaper ran information it knew to be incorrect in order to 'capitalize' on the assassination of the medical insurer's CEO. The article in question was produced and published by The Guardian's US investigations team as part of a series titled 'Too Big to Care' and was available worldwide at publication. In the article, George Joseph, an investigative reporter for The Guardian's US publication, wrote that UnitedHealth Group, UnitedHealthcare's parent, had engaged in cost-cutting tactics by paying off nurses to cut down on hospital transfers. Citing internal emails, documents and interviews with more than 20 current and former staffers, the report claimed that the payments were made 'as part of a UnitedHealth program.' Nursing home residents in need of 'immediate hospital care under the program failed to receive it' because of 'interventions from UnitedHealth staffers,' per the report. The lawsuit from UnitedHealth Group, United Healthcare Services and Optum, the group's health services segment, filed in Delaware's Superior Court, accused The Guardian of publishing 'knowingly false claims' in the story, alleging it used 'deceptively doctored documents' and 'patently untruthful anecdotes' to produce the article. 'The Guardian knew these accusations were false, but published them anyway, brazenly trying to capitalize on the tragic and shocking assassination of UnitedHealthcare's then-CEO, Brian Thompson,' the lawsuit alleged. The Guardian is strongly pushing back against UnitedHealthcare's lawsuit, emphasizing in a statement that it will defend Joseph's reporting. 'The Guardian stands by its deeply-sourced, independent reporting, which is based on thousands of corporate and patient records, publicly filed lawsuits, declarations submitted to federal and state agencies, and interviews with more than 20 current and former UnitedHealth employees — as well as statements and information provided by UnitedHealth itself over several weeks,' The Guardian said in a statement. 'It's outrageous that in response to factual reporting on the practice of secretly paying nursing homes to reduce hospitalizations for vulnerable patients, UnitedHealth is resorting to wildly misleading claims and intimidation tactics via the courts,' the publication said. The health care giant's accusations echo a statement published by UnitedHealth Group the same day The Guardian released its investigation. In the statement, the company accused the publication of building a 'narrative' using 'anecdotes rather than facts.' The company noted that the Justice Department had investigated the allegations, interviewed witnesses, and combed through thousands of documents, only to find 'the significant factual inaccuracies in the allegations.' A UnitedHealth Group spokesperson told CNN that The Guardian 'refused to engage with the truth and chose instead to print its predetermined narrative.' 'The Guardian knowingly published false and misleading claims about our Institutional Special Needs Program, forcing us to take action to protect the clinician-patient relationship that is crucial for delivering high-quality care,' the company said in a statement. However, despite the claim, a spokesperson for The Guardian told CNN that it has 'received no requests for correction or retraction on any aspect of the story.' UnitedHealthcare is being represented by Clare Locke, a law firm known for taking on defamation cases against media organizations. The firm has also represented Project Veritas; and one of its partners, Jered Ede, who is working on the UnitedHealthcare lawsuit, was also Project Veritas's chief legal officer.
Fox News
27 minutes ago
- Fox News
'Coming for us': Expert sounds alarm on CCP's mission to 'kill Americans' after FBI makes shocking arrests
VIDEO ID: 6373876764112 Following news that two Chinese nationals were charged with allegedly smuggling a "dangerous biological pathogen" into the United States to study at a U.S. university, Fox News Digital spoke to an expert on China who said the arrests should be a wake-up call to the country. "I was entirely unsurprised, which is a sad commentary, but it speaks to the Chinese Communist Party, the CCP wants to kill Americans," Michael Sobolik, a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute focusing on U.S. and China relations, told Fox News Digital after FBI Director Kash Patel announced the arrests of the two Chinese nationals. "Look at what they've done with smuggling fentanyl precursors into our country to kill Americans, look at the effects of them failing to stop the spread of COVID-19," Sobolik said. "Dead Americans. The fact that they want to target Americans here within the United States with pathogens and with bioweapons. This is the Chinese Communist Party. This is what they do. They're in a cold war with the United States. They want to become the most powerful nation in the world and they wanna make the world safe for their tyranny and unsafe for freedom. And they're coming for us here at home." The couple are accused of smuggling a fungus called Fusarium graminearum, which scientific literature classifies as a "potential agroterrorism weapon," according to the Justice Department. Federal prosecutors note that the noxious fungus causes "head blight," a disease of wheat, barley, maize, and rice, and "is responsible for billions of dollars in economic losses worldwide each year." The Justice Department also says fusarium graminearum's toxins cause vomiting, liver damage, and "reproductive defects in humans and livestock." According to the criminal complaint, one of the accused allegedly received Chinese government funding for her work on the pathogen in China. The couple are accused of bringing the pathogen into the U.S. to study at a University of Michigan laboratory, which raises more concerns about Chinese nationals infiltrating American universities. Last month, a bombshell report out of Stanford University shed light on the influence of spies from the Chinese Communist Party that the student newspaper says have likely infiltrated the prestigious institution and other universities nationwide to gather intelligence. "American higher education is addicted to the Chinese Communist Party," Sobolik told Fox News Digital. "It's addicted to easy money that has come from Beijing for decades. It's addicted to international students that pay full tuition, many of which are then coerced and pressured by the Chinese embassy and consulates and other networks to spy for the party and report back." "American universities need to finally open their eyes and stop being willfully blind to the threat of the CCP. They're vectors for intelligence gathering. They are vectors for these threats that target Americans on our own soil. That's unacceptable. If sovereignty means anything, we need to be able to protect Americans within the borders of the United States. And universities cannot continue to be willing accomplices of the Chinese Communist Party." A Chinese embassy official said Wednesday he was unaware of the case involving two Chinese nationals charged with smuggling a "dangerous biological pathogen" into the U.S. for university research. "I don't know the specific situation, but I would like to emphasize that the Chinese government has always required overseas Chinese citizens to abide by local laws and regulations and will also resolutely safeguard their legitimate rights and interests," said Liu Pengyu, spokesperson for the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Embassy in the U.S.
CNET
40 minutes ago
- CNET
Set the Weights Down: BowFlex Adjustable Dumbbells Are Being Recalled. Here's What to Know
The gains can wait: If you have a set of BowFlex 552 or 1090 Adjustable Dumbbells, you'll want to put them down and listen up. Customers have reported the weight plates coming off during use, resulting in potential impact hazards. Here's everything you should know about the recall and how to receive a replacement set. Read the full press release regarding the recall here. What products are being recalled? As of June 5, 2025, Johnson Health Tech Trading has voluntarily recalled over 3.8 million units of the BowFlex 552, 52.5-pound Adjustable Dumbbells and BowFlex 1090, 90-pound Adjustable Dumbbells. 3.7 million of these were sold by BowFlex Inc. (formerly Nautilus, Inc). These black dumbbells with red accents include handles, weight plates and a plastic tray. The 552 dumbbells have adjustable weights from five to 52.5 pounds, while the 1090 dumbbells adjust from 10 to 90 pounds. The model and serial number are on the underside of the plastic tray. A full list of serial and model numbers included in the recall can be found on the US Consumer Product Safety Commission website. The serial number is located on the bottom of the BowFlex 552 and 1090 Adjustable Dumbbells. Pictured here is the 1090 model. Johnson Health Tech Trading/US CPSC The recall includes dumbbells purchased from Johnson Health Tech Trading, or an authorized retailer between April 23, 2024, and May 2025, as well as sets purchased from Nautilus, Inc. or another authorized retailer (including Dick's Sporting Goods and Best Buy) prior to April 23, 2024 -- going back as far as 2004. Why are they being recalled? The reported issue is that the weight plates can dislodge from the handle during use, posing an impact hazard. Johnson Health Tech Trading has received 12 reports of the plates dislodging during use, with no injuries. Now-defunct Nautilus received 337 reports of the plates coming off during use, resulting in 111 people suffering injuries such as concussions, contusions, abrasions or broken toes. According to Johnson Health Tech Trading in a company statement, 'We stand behind the integrity of our products and remain committed to supporting our customers throughout their fitness journey. A proactive and broad initiation of this voluntary recall is consistent with our fundamental mission to serve consumers with high-quality and durable fitness equipment.' In response to the reports, Johnson Health has developed safer versions of the 552 and 1090 dumbbells designed to comply with stricter safety standards. These replacement models are the BowFlex Results Series 552 SelectTech Dumbbells and Results Series 1090 SelectTech Dumbbells. Customers who purchased their dumbbells from Nautilus can use a prorated refund voucher toward buying the new dumbbells once they are available. What should you do? The first step is to stop using your dumbbells immediately if you own either of these two models. The second step is to fill out the claim form on BowFlex's website. You will need the following information to complete the form: Your contact and mailing information Purchase details (date and place of purchase) Product information (model and serial number) Once your claim has been verified, you will receive a prepaid shipping label and box to return the handles and base of your dumbbell set. The company expects to start shipping out these boxes in July. If you have been injured by your BowFlex dumbbells, you should immediately report the injury to the CPSC by filling out the "report an unsafe product" form on its website. If you have any questions about this recall, you can contact Johnson Health Tech Trading at 800-209-3539 or email at recall@
