Gerber Recalls Baby Food Pouches Because You Shouldn’t Feed Your Kid Anything Spoiled

Giving your child a pouch of baby food can make for a convenient and less messy dinner. But you know what might make that dinner a little bit less delicious? Coming down with an upset stomach and then finding out what’s inside that pouch is spoiled. For that reason, Gerber announced the recall of select Organic pouch products. 

The company announced the voluntary recall of four batches of Gerber Organic 2ND FOOD pouches that may contain a packaging defect that could lead the product to spoil during transport and handling.

A spokesperson for Gerber tells Consumerist that when the affected pouches of Pears, Carrots, & Peas and Carrots, Apples, & Mangoes in question left the factory they passed quality tests.

“We later received reports through our review of consumer contacts that products may appear bloated or product inside may have an off taste or odor noticeable to some parents,” she says. “Because we want to maintain the integrity of our baby foods and uphold our high quality standards, we are voluntarily removing the pouches in question from stores and online retailers.”

According to a notice filed with the Food and Drug Administration, Gerber received three reports from consumers of temporary gastronomical symptoms after digesting the baby food. However, the company says they have been unable to confirm that these are related to the affected product.

The company says it is working with physical and online retailers nationwide to remove the product from shelves.

It’s unclear exactly how many pouches are being recalled. The Gerber spokesperson tells Consumerist that a “limited number of batches” – two batches of each variety being recalled – contain the packaging defect, and that no other Gerber products are affected. As for other company’s products that may be produced at the plant, the spokesperson said Gerber considers production information to be “considered proprietary information.”

The affected pouches, which may be bloated and contain product that has an off taste or oder, can be identified by UPC codes and “best by” dates near the bottom of the package.

Affected products have the following codes and best by dates:

Consumers who purchased pouches are encouraged to contact the Gerber Parents Resource Center at 1-800-706-0556 anytime day or night for a replacement coupon.

“Like you, we place the health and well-being of your baby above all else, and all our baby foods must meet our rigorous quality standards,” Gerber CEO Gary Tickle said in a statement. “I sincerely apologize for any concern this may have caused.”