Nestle and its Gerber baby foods unit have responded to allegations posted on social media in China that the brand’s cereals made and sold in the country contain ‘dangerous’ levels of toxic metals.
Last weekend, an association going by the name of the Maternal and Child Industry Committee of China Commercial Economy Society claimed on social media that Gerber products contain toxic metals “to a dangerous degree”, according to Reuters. The post, which advised consumers to stop buying Gerber products, was later shared across social media in China.
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By GlobalDataA representative for the association told the news agency that the posting on 6 February was meant for internal eyes, but had been misinterpreted and has since been removed, adding that Gerber products are still on sale in China.
A spokesperson for Nestle told Reuters via a statement: “All Gerber products produced in China comply with China’s food safety standards on complementary foods for infants and babies.”
Meanwhile, Gerber has posted a comment on its website saying heavy metals occur naturally in soil and water where crops are grown, as the allegations of toxic metals in baby foods resurface following similar claims made in 2019.
“As stated in our 2019 response to the Congressional Inquiry, we take many steps to minimise their presence. We prioritise growing locations based on climate and soil composition. We approve fields before crops are planted based on soil testing,” the statement read.
It continued: “As a member of the Baby Food Council, we have been working together with other industry members, the Environmental Defense Fund, Healthy Babies Bright Futures and Cornell University in the identification of best agricultural practices and creating a voluntary industry standard to reduce heavy metal levels in baby foods to the lowest levels possible.”
The Chinese group was reportedly repeating claims made by US congressional investigators that they had found ‘dangerous levels of toxic heavy metals’ in certain baby foods, including Gerber.
A spokesman for the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) told Reuters it was reviewing the report by the investigators, and like Gerber, noted toxic elements are present in the environment in soil, water or air.
Gerber added: “The standards we have in place for the safety and quality of our baby foods are industry-leading, and among the strictest in not just the US, but the world. We meet the standards of the FDA, but we don’t stop there. We meet or exceed all existing government requirements, and where they don’t currently exist, we have established our own high standards based on the latest food-safety guidance. Gerber foods receive thorough oversight at all levels of the growing and the production process.”
