Parent’s Choice Rice Baby Cereal is being recalled for high inorganic arsenic levels. Three lots of this cereal are recalled. The recalling company is Maple Island Inc. that makes this cereal for Walmart. While no illnesses have been reported to date in connection with this problem, consuming arsenic can cause cancer, heart disease, lung disease, IQ loss, diabetes, and neurological problems. And its effect is much more serious in infants and young children because they are growing rapidly.
The FDA set limits on the amount of inorganic arsenic in baby food at 100 parts per billion (PPB). The cereal tested above the FDA guidance level.
Rice is especially vulnerable to taking up this heavy metal when it grows. The grain is often planted in fields where cotton was grown. And arsenic was used as a pesticide on cotton fields. The metal stays in soil for decades. When rice paddies are flooded with water, it becomes even easier for the plant to absorb inorganic arsenic through its roots.
The recalled items were sold at Walmart stores nationwide and online. Walmart has pulled the product from store shelves and put a register block on the product. The recalled baby food items are Parent’s Choice Rice Baby Cereal in 8 ounce packages. They were sold after April 5, 2021.
The specific Parent’s Choice Rice Baby Cereal recalled includes lot 21083 with UPC number 00681131082907 and a best if used by date of JUN 24 2022; lot 21084 with UPC number 00681131082907 and best if used by date of JUN 25 2022; and lot 21242 with UPC number 00681131082907. The best by date on that product is NOV 30 2022. The best if used by dates and product numbers are on the bottom left corner on the back of the package.
If you purchased any of these items, stop using them immediately. You can throw the cereal away or you can take it back to the store where you bought it for a full refund.
