Baby Food Sold In More Than 1,400 Stores Recalled Over Lead Levels

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Grocery store chain Publix has announced it has recalled its fruit and vegetable baby food pouches sold in eight states after the product was discovered to contain high lead levels.

Publix recalled its Greenwise Pear, Kiwi, Spinach & Pea Baby Food pouches in over 1,400 stores.

The Greenwise Pear, Kiwi, Spinach, and Pea Baby Food pouches were produced by Bowman Andros, a French company with a manufacturing plant in Virginia.

The lead contamination was flagged by North Carolina officials, who reported the baby pouches contained 13.4 parts per billion lead levels, which is over the FDA’s recommended limit of 10 parts per billion

Check out what CBS News reported:

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 products intended for babies and young children.

Per The FDA:

Publix Super Markets, Inc. has initiated a voluntary recall of GreenWise Pear, Kiwi, Spinach & Pea Baby Food, produced by Bowman Andros LLC and distributed to Publix grocery stores in the company’s eight-state operating area. The product is sold in 4-ounce plastic pouches and has the potential to be contaminated with elevated levels of lead.

This recall is being initiated as a result of routine sampling and is being made with the knowledge of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

“As part of our commitment to food safety, potentially impacted products have been removed from all store shelves,” said Publix Director of Communications Maria Brous. “To date, there have been no reported cases of illness. Consumers who have purchased the product in question may return the product to their local store for a full refund. Publix customers with additional questions may call our customer care department toll-free at 1-800-242-1227 or visit our website at publix.comExternal Link Disclaimer.”

Publix, the largest employee-owned company in the U.S. with more than 260,000 associates, currently operates 1,404 stores in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia and Kentucky. For 28 consecutive years, the company has been recognized by Fortune as a great place to work. In addition, Publix’s dedication to superior quality and customer service is recognized among the top in the grocery business.



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