See if you qualify for this lawsuit
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Gerber and Beech-Nut are two of the most trusted names in baby food. For decades, parents chose these brands believing they were feeding their infants safe, carefully tested food. New evidence suggests that trust was misplaced.
A 2021 Congressional investigation and subsequent FDA testing found that Gerber and Beech-Nut baby food products — including rice cereals, fruit and vegetable purées, and packaged snacks — contained arsenic, lead, cadmium, and mercury at levels that scientific researchers say are unsafe for infants.
Beech-Nut admitted to regulators that its rice cereal contained inorganic arsenic above the FDA's recommended action level. Lawsuits allege both Gerber (owned by Nestlé) and Beech-Nut prioritized cost savings over infant safety.
What the Gerber & Beech-Nut Lawsuit Is About
The Congressional subcommittee report from February 2021 found that Gerber and Beech-Nut's internal testing showed elevated heavy metal levels — and yet the companies continued selling the products without adequate warnings to parents.
Research in journals including JAMA Pediatrics (Lanphear et al., 2019) has found that there is no known safe level of lead exposure for children, and that even low levels of heavy metal exposure in infancy can affect brain development, lower IQ, and contribute to behavioral and learning problems. The FDA has taken steps to reduce heavy metals in baby food under its "Closer to Zero" initiative, but advocates say those steps have been too slow.
Lawsuits against Gerber and Beech-Nut allege the companies knew their products contained unsafe levels of heavy metals and failed to warn parents.
Who May Qualify
You may qualify if:
- You fed your infant Gerber or Beech-Nut baby food — including rice cereals, purées, or packaged snack products — typically during the first two years of life.
- Your child later developed developmental delays, learning disabilities, autism spectrum disorder, ADHD, lowered IQ, or other neurological conditions.
Two minutes — fill out the free form to check.
A real person will review your information and reach out if you may have a case.
Start Free Case Check →What Could This Mean for You?
If you qualify, you may be owed money for your child's diagnosis, therapy costs, special education needs, and other impacts on your family's life tied to your child's developmental condition.
We do not quote specific amounts per person. What any case may be worth depends on your child's specific circumstances, the nature of the condition, and how each case resolves.
Filing Deadline
Deadlines vary by state. Some states have special rules that pause the deadline for cases involving children — but not all do. Find out your options now rather than assuming you have more time.
How This Works — Step by Step
Step 1 — Fill out the free form
No cost, no commitment. Takes about two minutes.
Step 2 — A lawyer reviews your child's history
A lawyer reviews your child's history and what baby foods were used.
Step 3 — Attorneys work on contingency
If you qualify, attorneys work on contingency — you pay nothing unless you win.
Step 4 — Your case is filed
Your case is filed and handled by experienced attorneys. Most families never have to appear in court.
Common Questions
Which Gerber and Beech-Nut products are involved?
Rice cereals are specifically cited in the Congressional report as having the highest levels of arsenic. Purées and snacks from these brands are also included in active lawsuits.
Do I need to have saved the product packaging?
No. A lawyer will work with your recollection of what brands and types of food were used.
What if my child doesn't have a formal autism or ADHD diagnosis yet?
If your child has developmental concerns or is being evaluated, it's still worth checking now. A diagnosis strengthens the case but isn't always required to get started.
Is this different from the toxic baby food autism lawsuit?
These cases overlap significantly. The Gerber/Beech-Nut case covers neurological harm more broadly — including developmental delays and lowered IQ, not only autism or ADHD diagnoses specifically. See also: toxic baby food & autism lawsuit.
My child is now a teenager — is it too late?
It depends on your state. Some states allow extended deadlines for cases involving childhood harm. Check now.
Sources
- U.S. House Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy. "Baby Foods Are Tainted with Dangerous Levels of Arsenic, Lead, Cadmium, and Mercury." February 4, 2021.
- Lanphear, B.P. et al. "Low-Level Lead Exposure and Mortality in US Adults." JAMA Pediatrics, 2018.
- FDA. "Closer to Zero: Reducing Childhood Exposure to Contaminants from Foods." Ongoing initiative, 2021–present.