Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has launched an investigation into major baby food manufacturers “who have potentially violated the law by deceptively advertising and selling products that contain dangerous levels of heavy metals,” his office said in a news release.
His office has issued Civil Investigative Demands (CIDs) to Gerber and Plum Organics and intends to send additional CIDs as the investigation proceeds. Paxton already is investigating Mars and WK Kellogg Co over synthetic colors.
“Heavy metals, specifically arsenic, lead, cadmium, and mercury, cause brain damage in young children,” the news release said. “Despite this known risk, many U.S. baby food manufacturers have set their internal standards for toxic heavy metal content at unreasonably dangerous levels and then made misrepresentations about the health benefits of their products.”
Dave Fusaro has served as editor in chief of Food Processing magazine since 2003. Dave has 30 years experience in food & beverage industry journalism and has won several national ASBPE writing awards for his Food Processing stories. Dave has been interviewed on CNN, quoted in national newspapers and he authored a 200-page market research report on the milk industry. Formerly an award-winning newspaper reporter who specialized in business writing, he holds a BA in journalism from Marquette University. Prior to joining Food Processing, Dave was Editor-In-Chief of Dairy Foods and was Managing Editor of Prepared Foods.
