Gerber, baby food makers win partial summary judgment in autism MDL

Gerber baby food MDL overview:

• Who: A federal judge granted partial summary judgment to baby food makers, including Gerber Products Co., Beech-Nut Nutrition Co., The Hain Celestial Group Inc. and Walmart Inc.
• Why: The judge found the families had no admissible evidence showing lead and arsenic in the products caused their children’s autism or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
• Where: The ruling was issued in California federal court.

A federal judge has granted partial summary judgment to the makers of Gerber baby food and other brands, ending claims in a multidistrict litigation (MDL) that heavy metals in their products caused children’s autism or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

U.S. District Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley ruled on Oct. 14 that the families suing on behalf of their children failed to support their claims linking baby food to autism and ADHD.

“Plaintiffs have presented no admissible evidence supporting the general causation element of their claims,” the order says. General causation asks whether a substance can cause an injury at the levels people realistically consume.

The Baby Food Products Liability Litigation began in 2024, with filings continuing through Nov. 21, 2025. The order applies to every case in the MDL by that date. Only lead and arsenic remained at issue because the families had abandoned theories tied to mercury and cadmium, the order notes.

According to Law360, Corley had already excluded all the families’ general-causation experts in February, finding their opinions relied on a hypothetical menu possibly selected by their attorneys. 

Law360 also reports the order ended about 250 lawsuits in the multidistrict litigation and trimmed claims in at least 100 others.

The baby food ADHD complaint alleges the companies knowingly sold baby food contaminated with toxic heavy metals. The lawsuits also point to a 2021 congressional report that found toxic heavy metals in commercial baby foods. 

The companies maintain their products are safe and argue heavy metals occur naturally in soil and water, according to media reports.

Baby food autism and ADHD claims end as other claims survive

The ruling does not end the Baby Food Products Liability Litigation entirely. According to Law360, the order preserves parents’ claims alleging that the companies’ infant formula caused their children to experience IQ loss, language disorders, learning disabilities or sensory processing disorders.

Corley found that the earlier expert proceedings addressed only the baby food autism and ADHD claims, so she could not dismiss claims outside the scope of that inquiry.

The judge also entered separate judgment for cases where only some claims were cut. That step allows the families to immediately appeal the autism and ADHD causation question to the Ninth Circuit.

In 2025, Corley dismissed claims against three companies and two Nestle subsidiaries, finding they had no role in making or selling the products in California, according to media sources. 

Has your child ever eaten Gerber baby food or another brand named in this MDL? Let us know in the comments.

The plaintiffs are represented by Wisner Baum, Wagstaff Law Firm, Walsh Law PLLC, Motley Rice LLC, Moore Law Group PLLC, Peiffer Wolf Carr Kane Conway & Wise LLP, The Russo Firm, DiCello Levitt LLP and Pendley Baudin & Coffin LLP, among others.

The Gerber baby food MDL is In re: Baby Food Products Liability Litigation, Case No. 3:24-md-03101, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.

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