Gerber Baby Food Lawsuit
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For decades Gerber was the baby food parents reached for first. The families suing the company say its rice cereal, purees and snacks carried arsenic, lead and cadmium, and that Gerber’s own tests showed it. In October 2026 a federal judge ended the autism and ADHD claims against Gerber and six other makers. The same week, Texas sued Gerber over what it told parents.
If your child ate Gerber baby food and later had learning or developmental problems, you can ask for a free case review. The October ruling covered autism and ADHD. Claims about other harms are still in the case for now. Whether your child’s history supports a claim depends on the diagnosis, the products and your state’s deadline. Pick what fits:
Free and no obligation. Deadlines are set by your state, and the rules for a child’s claim can differ. Submitting a review request does not create an attorney-client relationship.
This page is general legal education. The claims described are allegations Gerber disputes, and none has been proven in court. Nothing here is legal or medical advice, and nothing here evaluates any family’s claim.
- Gerber is owned by Nestlé and is the largest brand in the baby food litigation.
- Gerber was one of four companies that gave its test results to Congress for the 2021 report.
- On October 14, 2026, the federal judge ended the autism and ADHD claims against Gerber and six other makers. Claims about lower IQ and learning disabilities stay in the case for now.
- Texas sued Gerber and Nestlé USA on October 9, 2026, citing Gerber’s own test results.
- Gerber says its products meet FDA limits for heavy metals. There is no settlement.
Why Gerber Is Being Sued
In February 2021 a U.S. House subcommittee published the test results four baby food companies had sent it, and Gerber was one of them. The report said Gerber used ingredients with arsenic, lead and cadmium, and rarely tested for mercury. Families began suing within days.
The lawsuits say Gerber knew from its own testing what was in its food, and sold it as safe anyway. Gerber denies the claims. The company says its products meet FDA limits, that it tests for more than 500 contaminants, and that heavy metals cannot be removed from the food supply entirely.
The Texas Lawsuit
On October 9, 2026, Texas filed suit against Gerber Products Company and Nestlé USA in the 494th District Court of Collin County. Attorney General Ken Paxton announced it on October 14. The state sued under its consumer protection law, and says Gerber told parents its food was safe, pure, rigorously tested and recommended by doctors.
The state’s examples come from Gerber’s records. It says Gerber used 67 batches of rice flour between 2017 and 2019 with more than nine times the arsenic allowed in bottled water. It says some carrots carried up to 17 times the bottled-water limit for cadmium. Some sweet potatoes carried nearly 10 times the limit for lead.
Texas also says Gerber tested ingredients instead of the finished food for most of that period. The state says that in 2021 Alaska’s state laboratory found two samples of Gerber rice cereal over the federal arsenic limit, and Gerber issued no recall or warning.
Texas wants civil penalties and a court order. Any money goes to the state. Families cannot file a claim in this case.
The state’s case is separate from a family’s own claim. A free review can look at the Gerber products your child ate, the diagnosis and your state’s deadline. Whether a claim qualifies depends on those facts.
Check Whether You May QualifyEducational purposes only. Submitting the form on Lawsuit Center does not create an attorney-client relationship.
The Federal Injury Cases
The federal injury cases against Gerber and the other makers are grouped together in San Francisco as MDL No. 3101, before Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley. The federal court report counted 497 pending cases on October 1, 2026.
Most of those families say the metals caused autism or ADHD. On February 27, 2026 the judge ruled that their scientific experts could not testify on that question. On October 14 she ended the autism and ADHD claims against Gerber and six other makers. Claims about lower IQ scores and learning disabilities stay in the case for now. Our baby food settlement update explains the ruling.
Class Actions and Injury Cases
Parents have filed two kinds of cases against Gerber. Class actions ask for money back for food that was sold as safe, on behalf of everyone who bought it. Injury cases are brought by one family for one child, and they ask for compensation for the harm the family says the food caused.
The federal injury cases are grouped so one judge handles the shared questions. Each family still keeps its own claim.
Gerber Products in the Cases
- Rice cereal and other infant cereals
- Jarred purees, including carrots and sweet potatoes
- Puffs, teething sticks and other snacks
- Pouches and blended meals
Gerber formula is a separate product with separate cases. Families trying to piece together what their child ate can use receipts, photos, store loyalty records and online orders.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Gerber being sued?
Families and the State of Texas say Gerber sold baby food containing arsenic, lead and cadmium while telling parents it was safe and tested. Gerber denies the claims and says its products meet FDA limits.
Are the Gerber autism lawsuits over?
In the main federal group of cases, the judge ended the autism and ADHD claims against Gerber and six other makers on October 14, 2026. The families can still seek an appeal. Claims about lower IQ and learning disabilities remain in the case for now.
What is the Texas lawsuit against Gerber?
Texas sued Gerber and Nestlé USA on October 9, 2026 in Collin County under its consumer protection law. It says Gerber’s own tests found toxic metals in food sold as safe. Money from that case goes to the state.
Is there a Gerber settlement?
No. As of October 21, 2026, Gerber has not announced a settlement of the injury cases, and there is no claim form.
Find Out If You May Have a Case
If your child ate Gerber baby food and was later diagnosed with a learning disability or tested with low IQ scores, a free case review can look at the products, the diagnosis and your state’s deadline.
Free and no obligation. Lawsuit Center is not a law firm, and submitting a request does not create an attorney-client relationship.
Sources
- Office of the Texas Attorney General, October 14, 2026 — the suit and the Gerber test results it cites.
- Bloomberg Government, on the Texas suit — the court, case number and filing date, and Gerber’s response.
- Courthouse News Service, October 14, 2026 — the ruling ending the autism and ADHD claims.
- U.S. House Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy report, February 4, 2021, as reported by Food Poisoning Bulletin — the companies that sent test results.
- Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation, Pending MDLs — the pending case count.
Related Lawsuit Topics
Heavy Metals in Baby Food Lawsuits
The main page: which metals, which brands, and how these cases came to court.
Baby Food Lawsuit Settlement Update
The October 2026 ruling, the Texas suit, and why there is no settlement.
Beech-Nut Baby Food Lawsuit
The claims involving Beech-Nut, including the 2021 rice cereal recall.
Consumer Product Lawsuits
How contamination and labeling cases fit into consumer product law.
