Dangerous levels of lead were allegedly detected in two Happy Tot baby food products manufactured by Family Organics Happy, a new lawsuit claims. The items are sold at the popular grocery stores Target and Whole Foods, both of which are named in the complaint filed by the Ecological Alliance in Los Angeles. (Related: 108 Most Popular Sodas Ranked by How Toxic They Are.)
The products called out in court documents are the Apples and Spinach Soft-Baked Oat Bars and Cheese&Spinach Ravioli with Marinara Sauce. One serving of the bars contains more than a day’s worth of the maximum acceptable amount of lead for children, and one serving of the pasta contains 12 times the maximum amount, according to the complaint.
Lead exposure can cause health problems like brain damage and kidney damage, and they can stunt growth and development in children, according to the Mayo Clinic. Food can be contaminated during both the production and processing processes, it adds: