Arsenic Spurs Recall Of Baby Cereal Sold At Tucson Walmart

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TUCSON, AZ – Walmart pulls some quantities of Parent’s Choice Rice Baby Cereal off its shelves in Tucson and elsewhere after the baby formula is tested above the Food and Drug Administration’s recommended levels for naturally occurring arsenic.

The traces of arsenic were discovered during routine sampling of Parent’s Choice products by the FDA. Inorganic arsenic occurs naturally in soil and water and, according to the agency, is present in traces in a large number of foods.

Maple Island Inc., the maker of Parent’s Choice products, said its voluntary recall was “out of caution.” The product was sold nationwide in both Walmart stores and online.

In addition to clearing the shelves of the product, Walmart has placed what is known as a “registration pad” on the product to prevent in-store and online sales.

Some packs of the baby cereals may have been sold. According to the FDA recall notice, the affected 8-ounce batches sold after April 5th include:

• Lot 21083 with UPC code # 00681131082907 with a “use by date” of June 24, 2022.
• Lot 21084 with UPC code # 00681131082907 with a “use by date” of June 25, 2022
• Lot 21242 with UPC code # 00681131082907 with a “use by date” of November 30, 2022

The best before date and the product number can be found in the lower left corner on the back of cereal packs.

Customers who may have packs of the affected baby cereal should discard the product or return it to Walmart for a full refund. Further information is available from the manufacturer Maple Island:

• Call 800-369-1022 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Central Time, Monday through Friday.
• By email to info@maple-island.com.

The FDA said no one got sick from eating the grain. No other Parent’s Choice products are affected by the recall.

People exposed to arsenic poisoning are likely to get it from drinking water and, to a lesser extent, from food, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Arsenic occurs either naturally in soils, sediments and groundwater or through mining, ore smelting and industrial use of arsenic. Some water sources have higher naturally occurring levels of inorganic arsenic than other areas.

Organic arsenic compounds are mainly found in fish and shellfish. In the past, inorganic forms of arsenic were used in pesticides, color pigments and wood preservatives; their use is now restricted.

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