Publix, one of the largest supermarket chains in the United States, voluntarily recalled pouches of baby food on store shelves due to concerns about lead contamination.
In a statement released on May 9, 2025, Publix said that a batch of GreenWise Pear, Kiwi, Spinach, and Pea Baby Food had the "potential to be contaminated with elevated levels of lead." A representative for the company said the products have been removed from all store shelves.
Publix Recalls Baby Food Pouches
The representative, Maria Brous, said the efforts are part of the company's commitment to food safety. Publix added that the decision to recall was made following routine sampling of products, but it was not mentioned who actually did the sampling.
The product's maker was Bowman Andros and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has already been notified of the recall order. Publix operates roughly 1,400 stores across eight different states in the country.
The company did not share any details about the number of units that were affected by the recall or whether or not the products taken back were distributed across all of its stores, according to the New York Times.
The situation comes as the FDA maintains a public database that tracks recall orders and safety alerts. The potential contamination is a concern as exposure to lead can be harmful to infants and young children and can cause developmental delays and other long-term health effects.
The website of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) noted that lead is extremely dangerous to children younger than six years old. The health agency added that they have not identified any safe blood lead level.
Despite the announcement of the recall, the FDA did not explain why it did not issue a news release for the development. It did, however, post details about the recall in its public recall-monitoring database, NBC News reported.
Protecting the Public's Health
In a statement, the FDA said it is committed to ensuring that all necessary information about product recalls is promptly communicated to protect the public's overall health and safety. The recall order comes as there is heightened concern about contaminated baby food.
This follows the recall of apple cinnamon puree pouches for children who were found to have elevated levels of lead in 2023. President Donald Trump's administration now pledges to make baby food safer via increased testing.
Publix's recall affected more than 25,000 packages of the baby food, which were sold in four-ounce tubs. It was listed as Class II, which means that the products involved are unlikely to cause serious harm to people who ingest them, as per the Independent.
Originally published on parentherald.com
