Amazon seeks dismissal of class action over heavy metals in rice products

Update:

• Amazon has asked a Washington federal court to dismiss a proposed Amazon class action alleging it sold rice products contaminated with toxic heavy metals, such as arsenic, lead, cadmium and mercury, through its online marketplace.
• The plaintiffs claim they would not have purchased the rice products, or would have paid less, if they had known about the contamination, citing a nonprofit study that tested 145 rice samples.
• Amazon argues the plaintiffs failed to allege that the rice products exceeded any legal limits, that they purchased the rice directly from Amazon or that the products they bought were actually contaminated.
• The company also contends it is protected under the Communications Decency Act, which shields online platforms from liability for third-party content, such as product listings.
• Amazon further argues the plaintiffs’ claims under state consumer protection and fraud laws should fail because the presence of heavy metals in rice is publicly known and was not affirmatively concealed.

Amazon rice class action overview:

• Who: Two consumers filed a class action lawsuit against Amazon.com Inc.
• Why: The plaintiffs allege Amazon sells rice products with dangerous levels of heavy metals.
• Where: The Amazon rice class action was filed in Washington federal court.

A new class action lawsuit alleges Amazon sells rice products that contain dangerous levels of toxic heavy metals.

Plaintiffs Ashley Wright and Merriman Blum filed the class action complaint against Amazon.com on May 23 in Washington federal court, alleging violations of state and federal consumer laws. They both purchased Iberia Basmati 100% Aged Original rice from Amazon.com.

According to the class action lawsuit, Amazon sells rice products contaminated with heavy metals, such as arsenic, cadmium, lead and mercury, without disclosing the risks to consumers.

The complaint claims that Amazon’s rice products pose significant health hazards, especially to children, who are more vulnerable to the neurotoxic effects of heavy metals.

The plaintiffs allege that Amazon’s failure to warn consumers about the presence of heavy metals in its rice products is deceptive and unfair, and that they would not have purchased the products if they had known about the contamination.

Heavy metals in rice products exceeded federal limit, lawsuit alleges

The lawsuit cites recent testing by Healthy Babies Bright Futures (HBBF), a nonprofit organization focused on reducing toxic chemical exposures to children, which found that 100% of rice samples from various retailers contained arsenic, and more than one-fourth exceeded the federal limit set for infant rice cereal.

The complaint says that no such limit exists for rice itself despite it being widely consumed by infants and toddlers.

The plaintiffs claim that Amazon’s rice products contain levels of heavy metals that are far above the safety standards set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for drinking water and apple juice.

For example, the lawsuit alleges that some of Amazon’s rice products contain arsenic levels as high as 149 parts per billion (ppb), while the EPA and FDA limit is 10 ppb.

The class action lawsuit seeks to represent all U.S. consumers who purchased Amazon’s rice products for household use. It asserts claims for violation of the Washington Consumer Protection Act and fraudulent concealment.

The plaintiffs, seeking damages and injunctive relief, also demand that Amazon disclose the presence of heavy metals in its rice products and test all ingredients and final products for contamination.

In January, Amazon faced multiple class action lawsuits alleging price gouging, discriminatory delivery practices and violations of privacy laws, alongside product recalls involving speakers and power banks.

What do you think of the claims in this Amazon rice class action? Let us know in the comments.

The plaintiffs are represented by Steve W. Berman and Meredith Simons of Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP and Rebecca A. Peterson of George Feldman McDonald PLLC.

The Amazon rice class action lawsuit is Wright et al. v. Amazon.com Inc., Case No. 2:25-cv-00977, in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington.

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