Publix Recalls Baby Food Over Possible Lead Contamination

Key TakeawaysPublix recalled baby food pouches over possible lead contaminationNo illnesses have been reportedLead exposure can cause serious health problems in children.TUESDAY, May 20, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Publix is recalling one of its popular GreenWise baby food pouches because it may contain lead, the company said this week.The recalled product is the Pear, Kiwi, Spinach & Pea Baby Food pouch.The supermarket chain said it found the issue through routine testing and pulled the pouches off store shelves, NBC News reported.“To date, there have been no reported cases of illness," the company's news release said.This is the second baby food recall for possible lead contamination in recent weeks.In March, Target recalled its Good & Gather Baby Pea, Zucchini, Kale & Thyme puree, NBC said. In both cases, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) did not issue a public warning.Safety experts say the FDA usually alerts the public when there is a serious health risk. Last year, the agency issued news releases for several lead-related cinnamon recalls.Sarah Sorscher, director of regulatory affairs at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, called the lack of warning "concerning."“There is no safe level of lead,” she said.Lead exposure in babies and young kids can cause brain damage, slow development and cause behavior problems, according to the FDA.Sorscher said FDA alerts increase "the attention that stores and consumers give it, so that [a product is] more likely to be pulled off the shelf."Lead can enter baby food during processing or from contaminated soil used to grow fruits and vegetables, NBC News reported.In early 2024, the FDA set voluntary limits for lead in baby food for the first time. Experts say this spurred more testing and product recalls.“Industry is taking that guidance to heart and being more proactive,” Jennifer van de Ligt, a former FDA baby food expert who was recently laid off, told NBC News.The Trump administration also announced a new food safety program called Operation Stork Speed. It says the plan will include “increasing testing for heavy metals and other contaminants in infant formula and other foods children consume.“But food safety advocates and former staff say budget cuts and staff layoffs could be hurting efforts to protect children.In April, the FDA closed a lab that tested food for heavy metals but that decision was later reversed, NBC News said. The agency also cut communication and public records staff, which delayed some food safety updates, sources said.At the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), experts working on lead poisoning prevention were let go, and a leaked budget draft showed plans to eliminate that program.A CDC spokesperson said the agency's reorganization was still underway but that its work would continue, NBC News reported.“There is what they’re saying they want to do to clean up the food supply, and what they’re actually doing,” Sorscher said.More informationThe World Health Organization (WHO) has more on lead poisoning.SOURCE: NBC News, May 16, 2025.What This Means For YouConsumers who have Publix GreenWise baby food at home should check the label and throw it away if it contains the pear, kiwi, spinach and pea blend..Sign up for our weekly HealthDay newsletter