Baby food companies aim to avoid fuss over toxic metals

At a hearing for summary judgment, a federal judge instructed the plaintiffs to clearly identify other injuries related to toxic metals in baby food, other than ADHD and autism.SAN FRANCISCO (CN) — A federal judge grilled attorneys Thursday as she considered the fate of a class action against baby food companies over neurological defects in infants.“Each side has made tactical moves,” U.S. District Judge Jaqueline Scott Corley, bashing one plaintiff’s attempt to belatedly remand the case to state court.The multidistrict class action against baby food manufacturers began in April 2024, when it was fashioned from 10 pending lawsuits with similar claims and central questions. The plaintiffs, all children with brain injuries or neurodevelopmental harm, claim their conditions are a result of the metal-contaminated baby foods sold by the defendant companies.At Thursday’s hearing, the Joe Biden appointee addressed the companies’ motion for summary judgment, saying if the plaintiffs were going to claim injuries in addition to ADHD and autism, they must identify them within the complaints.An attorney representing baby food manufacturer Beech-Nut Nutrition Company and Walmart said the plaintiffs hadn’t previously specified any additional injuries.“Here is the issue,” he said. “There are references to learning disability or speech delay, which are consequences of having ADHD and autism.”Corley noted that as a matter of law, it wasn’t up to her to determine what symptoms or possible injuries were related to those two ailments or not.In an October 2025 order, Corley granted motions to dismiss from baby food manufacturers Danone North America, Sun-Maid Growers of California and two of Nestlé’s international subsidiaries. However, she refused to dismiss claims against Campbell’s after an amended complaint accused the company of exceeding “the accepted norms of parental oversight of a subsidiary.” Campbell’s was the parent company of Plum until May 3, 2021, when it sold the snack brand to Sun-Maid.In April 2025, Corley issued a mixed ruling, dismissing certain claims for lack of personal jurisdiction and failure to state a claim, with leave to amend. She also denied a collective motion to dismiss from the defendant companies, rejecting their arguments that the plaintiffs needed to state a specific level of metals exposure that would result in autism disorders or ADHD.Additional baby food manufacturers and sellers involved in the lawsuit include Whole Foods, Hain Celestial Group, Neptune Wellness Solutions, Nurture, Inc. and Sprout Foods.Corley instructed the attorneys to provide more documentation before her ruling on summary judgment could take place.“Hopefully we will get this wrapped up nicely,” she said.Subscribe to our free newslettersOur weekly newsletter Closing Arguments offers the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world, while the monthly Under the Lights dishes the legal dirt from Hollywood, sports, Big Tech and the arts.Additional Reads