Recall Check: Beech-Nut Recalls Arsenic-Laced Rice Cereal, Will Stop Making Baby Food

After discovering a lot of its Stage 1, Single Grain Rice Cereal contained far more inorganic arsenic than deemed acceptable by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Beech-Nut Nutrition issued a recall and announced that it will stop making the baby food product Wednesday.  

The recalled baby food includes one lot of Beech-Nut Single Grain Rice cereal an expiration date of 01MAY2022 and product codes: 103470XXXX and 093470XXXX. The expiration date and product codes can be found on the bottom of the product, says the FDA notice. The product was sold online and at retail locations nationwide.  

“The safety of infants and children is Beech-Nut’s top priority. We are issuing this voluntary recall, because we learned through routine sampling by the State of Alaska that a limited quantity of Beech-Nut Single Grain Rice Cereal products had levels of naturally-occurring inorganic arsenic above the FDA guidance level, even though the rice flour used to produce these products tested below the FDA guidance level for inorganic arsenic,” said Jason Jacobs, Vice President, Food Safety and Quality in the FDA recall notice. 

Consumers are instructed to dispose of the recalled Beech-Nut rice cereal and can request a refund through the company’s website or by calling call 1-866-272-9417. 

Beech-Nut has also announced that it will stop making its rice cereal baby food due to issues with obtaining ingredients with low levels of inorganic arsenic.  

“Beech-Nut is concerned about the ability to consistently obtain rice flour well-below the FDA guidance level and Beech-Nut specifications for naturally occurring inorganic arsenic,” states the FDA recall notice.  

Beech-Nut says that the rice flour used to make the Stage 1, Single Grain Rice Cereal subject to the recall tested below the allowable level of inorganic arsenic, but the finished product did not.  

Indeed, Beech-Nut and other baby food makers have been under fire after high levels of inorganic arsenic and other toxins were revealed earlier this year. A congressional report by the Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy issued in February stated that many of the major baby food makers “contain significant levels of toxic heavy metals, including arsenic, lead, cadmium and mercury,” which can endanger an infant’s neurological development. 

Beech-Nut, along with Gerber, Nurture, and Hain Celestial Group, faces an investigation into arsenic in their rice cereal products by the New York attorney general office.  

Consumers have taken legal action, filing toxic baby food class action lawsuits against Gerber, Nurture, Walmart, and others.  

Top Class Actions is monitoring recalls and legal action concerning toxic metals in baby food and will continue to keep consumers informed as the situation develops.  

Did you purchase Beech-Nut Stage 1, Single Grain Rice Cereal subject to the recall? We want to hear from you! Tell us about your experience in the comment section below.  

Read About More Class Action Lawsuits & Class Action Settlements:

• Class Action Lawsuits Served After Baby Food Toxic Metal Contamination Report