When news broke in 2021 that baby food contained dangerous levels of arsenic, lead, cadmium, and mercury, many parents focused their attention on jars and purees they feed their babies. But the levels of toxic metals called out in the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy report on baby food affected more than just infant foods.
The Congressional report that sparked nationwide concern focused almost entirely on products for babies under 12 months. But toddler snacks, including puffs, crackers, and cereal bars marketed as “next steps” for growing children, have not received the same scrutiny that infant foods received, despite testing that shows they too contain dangerous levels of toxic heavy metals.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) launched its “Closer to Zero” plan months after the Congressional report on baby food came out. The agency’s plan promised to gradually reduce heavy metals in baby foods. Four years later in 2025, critics say the FDA has done little more than initiate unenforceable guidelines. Outside of infant food guidelines, the rice puffs, teething biscuits, and toddler crackers sitting on the same grocery store shelves—often made by the same manufacturers using the same processes that result in high levels of toxic metals in pouches and purees—continue to be sold and widely consumed.
Should parents be concerned about these products? The evidence suggests that they have reason to be.
Baby Snacks and Heavy Metals: What the Testing Actually Shows
Healthy Babies Bright Futures (HBBF) is a non-profit organization that regularly tests baby and toddler foods. In a widely cited study (the 2021 government committee cited HBBF in its report) , researchers found that 95% of tested products contained at least one toxic heavy metal. But the breakdown reveals something particularly troubling: rice-based toddler snacks consistently tested among the highest for contamination.
The Healthy Babies Bright Futures report made two important recommendations to parents: removing rice-based toddler snacks in favor of rice-free snacks can reduce toxic metals exposure by 93%. Likewise, removing teething biscuits and rice rusks in favor of frozen bananas or chilled cucumber can reduce heavy metals exposure by 91%.
This isn't theoretical; some of the products parents buy because the packaging promises “organic,” “natural,” or “perfect for little hands” may be putting toddlers at risk.
Heavy Metals Trigger 2025 Baby Food Recalls
Four years after the 2021 Congressional report exposed heavy metal contamination in baby food, recalls continue. In 2025 alone, three major baby food products were pulled from shelves due to elevated lead levels. While these recalls involve infant purees and pouches rather than toddler snacks, they reveal what we believe is an industry-wide failure.
We believe the pattern here is clear. Four years is enough time to fix this very serious issue. The fact that these recalls are still happening suggests the heavy metals problem is more systemic than manufacturers have acknowledged.
What Are Heavy Metals and Why Are They Dangerous?
Heavy metals are elements that can be found naturally or may be man-made. The most common toxic heavy metals found in baby and toddler foods are arsenic, lead, cadmium, and mercury. While these metals are present in the environment, lawsuits allege that baby food manufacturers lack proper processes to reduce contamination in their final products, including the use of ingredients with dangerous levels of these toxins. Exposure to these heavy metals can have devastating neurological and developmental effects.
Infants and toddlers are particularly susceptible to the effects of these toxins because of their small body mass and developing brains. This means that even trace amounts of a toxic heavy metal can have a long-lasting impact on their health and development. Current litigation focuses on the potential for heavy metal exposure during infancy and early childhood to increase a child’s risk for developing ADHD and autism.
Multiple studies have confirmed the link between heavy metal exposure and these neurodevelopmental disorders, including a study published in Toxicology Reports in April 2025, which found that children with autism had significantly higher levels of mercury in their hair compared to neurotypical children, with those having mercury levels above 2.0 µg/g showing 19.3 times higher odds of having ASD.
Another 2025 study published in the Journal of Attention Disorders concluded that exposure to toxic metals may affect “children’s neurodevelopment, particularly increasing the risk of developing attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).”
The Toddler Snack Problem: Cereals, Crackers, and Puffs
The baby food industry is a multi-billion-dollar industry. Manufacturers offer a variety of products from infant purees to toddler snacks and meals. Parents often transition children from single-ingredient fruits and vegetables to more complex foods like puffs and cereal bars, believing these products are safe and healthy. To date, reports of contaminated baby food have primarily focused on purees and pouches, leading some parents to assume that snacks designed for toddlers or young children are generally safe. Unfortunately, independent testing continues to confirm that these snack foods also contain harmful levels of heavy metals, meaning the risk of exposure continues throughout early childhood.
A Healthy Babies Bright Futures report titled “What’s in my Baby’s Food?” found that 95% of baby food tested contained toxic chemicals that can lower a child’s IQ. In particular, the study found that products containing rice, such as puffs and teething biscuits, had a higher risk for heavy metal exposure.
Why Toddler Snacks May Escape Scrutiny
FDA guidance, including that released in the Closer to Zero initiative, primarily focuses on baby food products for infants under 12 months. In some cases, toddler snacks, cereals, and other non-infant foods may escape scrutiny despite containing high levels of arsenic, lead, cadmium, and mercury. Most notably, grain-based snack products like puffs and other common toddler snacks are specifically excluded from the FDA’s established action levels under Closer to Zero’s most recent rules. Without stronger regulation targeting all baby foods, these toddler products may remain a hidden risk to parents who believe they are safe.
Health Risks and Developmental Impacts of Heavy Metals
Researchers across the globe have studied potential health risks and developmental impacts of heavy metal exposure in early childhood for decades. Despite growing concerns over the potential for serious harm, some baby food manufacturers have failed to implement measures to reduce contamination in their products. Millions of children may have been exposed to these toxins, leading to diminished IQ, behavioral disorders, and other harmful effects.
Potential health risks and developmental impacts of heavy metal exposure in early childhood:
- Increased risk of developing autism or ADHD
- Speech delays
- Interference with brain development and neurotransmitter function
- Behavioral problems
- Organ damage
- Cognitive impairment
- Diminished IQ
- Impaired memory
The Baby Food Litigation Landscape and Legal Developments
Hundreds of lawsuits related to the harmful effects of heavy metals in baby food have been consolidated into a multidistrict litigation (MDL) in the Northern District of California. The lawsuits involve major baby and toddler food manufacturers, including Gerber, Beech-Nut, Happy Baby (Nurture, Inc.), Sprout Organic, Earth’s Best Organics, and Walmart (Parent’s Choice).
The lawsuits allege certain manufacturers knowingly sold baby and toddler food products contaminated with toxic heavy metals without properly disclosing the risks to consumers. According to legal documents, the companies knew or should have known of the potential harm from consuming these products but failed to provide safety warnings to parents, instead marketing the food as healthy and safe.
What Parents Can Do and How to Take Legal Action Against Baby Food Manufacturers
Parents whose children have presented with developmental or behavioral concerns after consuming baby food products contaminated with heavy metals may qualify to join the toxic baby food lawsuit.
Steps parents can take to determine eligibility for a baby food lawsuit:
- Review brands consumed by the child to determine if a lawsuit is currently pending.
- Save receipts and packaging to help strengthen the claim.
- Gather medical records indicating a diagnosis of a qualifying condition, such as autism or ADHD.
- Document the type and frequency of any baby food snack consumed by the child.
- Consult with an attorney about the potential to file a lawsuit against one or more baby food manufacturers or join existing litigation.
For decades, parents have trusted baby and toddler food manufacturers, believing their products are safe and even healthy for their children. No parent could have known the dangers that lurked in the products. Taking legal action against these manufacturers can hold them accountable for their wrongdoing, put pressure on regulators to reduce heavy metal levels in baby food products, and help prevent future harm.
How to Reduce Exposure to Heavy Metals in Toddler Snacks
While regulatory action has been slow, parents can take several steps to help minimize their child’s exposure to heavy metals in baby food and toddler snacks.
Steps parents can take to reduce exposure to heavy metals in baby foods and toddler snacks, according to Healthy Babies Bright Futures:
- Choose rice-free snacks - Rice-free snacks often contain 93% less toxic heavy metals than rice-based counterparts.
- Opt for a different teething biscuit - In place of traditional teething biscuits and rice rusks, choose a frozen banana or a chilled cucumber. These options have 91% less heavy metals compared to the packaged products.
- Skip rice-based cereals - Instead, choose multigrain cereal or oatmeal, which has 84% less heavy metals.
- Offer a variety - Offer a variety of foods, which can help to reduce exposure to these toxins.
Parents should document what they feed their child and when. Detailed feeding logs can help to prove exposure and support a legal claim if eligibility is confirmed. Concerned families are encouraged to seek legal counsel as soon as possible to gain a further understanding of the issues at hand and how to file a claim against baby food manufacturers.
Contact a Toxic Baby Food & Toddler Snack Lawyer Today
Parents who suspect that their child’s developmental issues are linked to contaminated baby food or toddler snacks are encouraged to contact Wisner Baum for a free consultation. Attorneys with the firm currently represent thousands of children who have been diagnosed with autism and ADHD after being exposed to toxic heavy metals in baby and toddler food.
The firm continues to investigate and accept cases related to toxic baby food. Cases are accepted on a contingency fee basis, meaning there are no fees unless we win. Contact Wisner Baum today to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation.
Heavy Metals & Baby Snacks Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: Do toddler snacks have heavy metals in them?
Studies show that the vast majority of baby and toddler foods contain heavy metals, including arsenic, lead, cadmium, and mercury. According to a Healthy Babies, Bright Futures study, 95% of commercial baby food tested had at least one toxic heavy metal. While attention has been focused on infant products, such as purees and infant rice cereal, studies show that toddler snacks also have concerning levels of these heavy metals.
Q: Are snack puffs dangerous for a child to eat?
Despite being marketed as healthy and safe for consumption, many of the most popular snack puffs on the shelves are contaminated with dangerous levels of toxic heavy metals. Research shows that rice-based puffs have the highest levels of heavy metals, including inorganic arsenic and lead.
Q: How do I know if the baby food snacks my child eats are contaminated?
A 2021 Congressional Report found that most baby food sold in the United States is contaminated with concerning levels of heavy metals. The best way to determine whether the food your child consumed was contaminated is by consulting with an attorney. It is important to save all packaging and product materials to help prove exposure to the contaminants.
Q: Is all baby food contaminated with heavy metals?
Internal and independent testing confirms that the vast majority of commercial baby and toddler food products are contaminated with at least one heavy metal. Despite a focus on infant baby foods, many toddler snacks, such as puffs, crackers, and cereals, have dangerous levels of cadmium, mercury, arsenic, and lead.
Q: How do I file a toxic baby food lawsuit?
The best way to file a toxic baby food lawsuit is by contacting an attorney as early in the process as possible. An attorney can review the information to help determine eligibility for joining existing litigation or filing a separate lawsuit.
Q: Can heavy metals in baby food snacks cause autism?
Studies show that exposure to heavy metals may increase a child’s risk for developing certain neurological disorders, including autism and ADHD. It is important to maintain records about any food your child consumes to help strengthen a future legal claim if eligibility is confirmed.
Q: How long do I have to file a baby food lawsuit?
Toxic baby food lawsuits are subject to a state-specific statute of limitations or legal deadline. It is important to consult an attorney as early in the process as possible to determine the statute of limitations that applies to your case.
Q: How do I prove that my child ate contaminated toddler snacks?
Packaging and product information, receipts proving purchase, and feeding logs can all help to strengthen a claim that your child ate toddler snacks contaminated with heavy metals.
Q: What kinds of toddler foods have heavy metals?
Reports show that many baby and toddler food products on the market contain concerning levels of heavy metals. These products include popular snack puffs, crackers, cereals, and bars.
