My post content

01 March 2025

Claim:
“Gerber Baby Food for infants has metal filings in it causing gastrointestinal problems”

There have been a few videos being shared around social media that have come across my news feeds where people are claiming the oatmeal or rice cereal baby food they bought from the store has metal filings in it. One user claimed this was the cause of her baby’s feeling of fussiness and recurrent diarrhea. In the videos, the individual recording takes a portion of the powdered baby food and places it in a clear plastic sandwich bag and rubs a magnet across the outside of the bag. The video clearly shows tiny dark particles interacting with and being attracted to the magnet and she is quite clearly upset about it. The people posting the videos are claiming these are metal filings and are “dangerous” to the babies consuming this formula.

Given the obvious concern and outrage these individuals are expressing, I felt it necessary to give some context to the claim. The initial questions that came immediately to mind were as follows:

What does the ingredient label say?

One individual claimed the Gerber brand baby food had the metal filings in it. The packaging label can be found here: The packaging label clearly states in multiple places that the powdered baby food is fortified with iron. As we were all taught in elementary school science class, iron will interact with and be attracted to a sufficiently strong magnet. Iron particles can appear as dark colored, tiny pieces of metal. Given that iron is a type of metal, this definitely tracks.

Why are people finding these “metal particles” in the powdered baby food from the store?
It is common for babies and very young children (ages 6 months to 5 years) to have anemia. Anemia is when a person has very low level of red blood cells. There are different types of anemia that are the result of different causes. Iron deficiency anemia is a specific type of anemia that occurs when a person has a very low level of iron in the bloodstream. Iron is an element the body uses to help make red blood cells. This is why you get a metallic taste if you get blood in your mouth from an ulcer, gingivitis or bite injury. That metallic taste comes from the red blood cells and iron in your blood.

Why are baby food makers fortifying baby food with iron?
The makers of powdered baby food have been fortifying or adding supplemental iron in age appropriate portions to help offset and prevent iron deficiency anemia that is so common in young children and babies. This is similar to how iodine is commonly added to table salt to due to the common occurrence of goiters due to low iodine levels. Regular table salt can also be purchased without iodine if you do not wish to supplement your diet with iodine, as is your choice. There is documentation to suggest that iron fortification programs have not shown statistical significance in reduction of iron deficiency in the general public as noted in this study, however, the intention of it all was to reduce iron deficiency.

Children are recommended to have routine well child check ups with their pediatrician or family doctor to monitor growth and development. At each visit, a series of questions are presented to the parents to evaluate if milestones for growth and development are being met. If they are not being met, interventions are provided to help the parents understand where they can help their child to develop appropriately. One of the things the physician or provider looks for is lead and anemia screenings at check up visits at the 12 month visit. If you are concerned at any time that your child is anemic or has iron deficiency, discuss this concern with the physician or provider to see if a blood screening test is warranted.
For a full list of what the standards are at each check up visit for children, you can go to the Centers for Disease Control Website to see the Periodicity Schedule for yourself here. This chart is referred to by physicians to make sure each growth and development milestone is monitored and documented.

Children have been studied widely by the medical field for decades and it is pretty well decided in the medical community what is considered within appropriate range regarding growth and development. If a child has below average development, further evaluation may be warranted to determine if there is a specific reason which could cause serious problems later on down the line. A well-read and attentive parent would most certainly be able to identify if a milestone is not being met. If you obtained the milestone questionnaires, you could monitor this for yourself in real time if you were so compelled. The documents used by physician and pediatrician offices for monitoring growth and development of children are available for free online and even have intervention suggestions to help children improve in areas that may be lacking. You can find the Ages and Stages Questionnaires (ASQ-3) here:

It is important to remember that just because there is supplemental iron in the powdered baby food, this does not automatically mean “heavy metals” are present. The words “heavy metals” commonly refers to metals such as arsenic, cadmium, lead and mercury, which are known to cause neurological damage, cancer and developmental delays in children. You can find more information here: If you have a concern at any time that your child may be suffering from heavy metal poisoning, it is strongly recommended to follow up with a pediatrician or physician to see if a blood screening test is warranted. I know I already said that but it cannot be overstated.

Even after all this information, what if you still don’t trust the baby food makers to not have heavy metals in the baby food?

Sincerely, I do understand that concern. The more we find out about just how much mega corporations are in control of the current food supply, and given the fact that their main priority is to their shareholders and not the general public consuming their product, I find that distrust reasonable. So, what can you do?

Let’s look at why we give formula or breast milk to babies in the first place. When babies are born, their bodies while “fully developed” as a starter human, their bodies are not actually fully developed. The immune system is quite immature and susceptible to any number of illnesses. Breast milk is one of the ways we can help protect baby from illness. Breast milk is fully of antibodies and other components that help boost the immune system until it develops enough to start protecting baby, which can take a few years.

Not only is the immune system not fully mature and in need of additional protections, the gastrointestinal tract (GI Tract) is also not fully developed. This means that baby is doing well just to process breast milk or formula. Pureed solid foods at the beginning can cause more harm than good, so it’s best to stick with breast milk or formula.

Around 6 – 7 months of age, the GI tract is more developed and can handle more complex foods. Given this distrust of powdered baby food makers, one option available to parents is using pureed or finely mashed vegetables and supplementing with breast milk or formula. As baby starts taking in pureed vegetables, it is important to remember to start low and go slow. Try a few bites of the pureed baby food first. It will take baby time to adjust to going from bottle to spoon. Feed baby one type of vegetable for a week until you know they are not allergic or don’t like it.

Vegetables are recommended as the first line of baby foods to try because I can assure you that you will never have trouble getting baby to like the sweetness of fruit. The taste sensation of vegetables compared to that of fruit is so different that the vegetables will taste bitter and off-putting. If baby gets the fruit first, you run the risk of developing a picky eater and this can lead to nutrition deficiency. Iron-rich vegetables are a very good alternative to powdered baby cereal fortified with iron. You can find a list of iron-rich foods here.

In Conclusion, if you want to continue feeding your child oatmeal/rice cereal fortified with iron, that is ultimately your choice and don’t let anyone make you feel bad about it. I gave all my children the oatmeal/rice cereal baby food and I also did the pureed solid food as soon as possible. You do what you need to do to make it, right? Knowing all this information and you still choose to use powdered baby formula, that is entirely your right.

However, if you still don’t trust that the powder baby food is safe, you have other options, including giving baby pureed solid food preferably vegetables and supplement with breast milk or formula until the teeth start poking through the gums. Another option is to have your child evaluated if you think the metal poisoning is a real concern. We must advocate for our children and read the labels of all the foods we give them. We should be conscious of what they are eating. It’s never too late to take your and your child’s health into your own hands.

The links to the sources provided are to help start you on your own research journey to healthier living. It is, by no means, intended to be the definitive singular answer. It's always okay to ask questions.

Sources:

Gerber Oatmeal Cereal

Periodicity Schedule - CDC

Iron Fortification of Foods: Overcoming Technical and Practical Barriers - Science Direct

Ages and Stages Questionnaire - Broomfield Pediatrics

Heavy Metal Poisoning (Toxicity) - Cleveland Clinic

Best Iron-Rich Foods for Babies, Toddlers & Kids - YummyToddlerFood