Earlier this week, Beech-Nut Nutrition announced it is voluntarily recalling one lot of its Beech-Nut Stage 1 Single Grain Rice Cereal and plans to discontinue the product going forward. According to the notice, the recall includes cereal packages with the product codes 103470XXXX and 093470XXXX. The expiration date is May 1, 2022. The recall itself was issued after routine sampling found elevated levels of naturally occurring inorganic arsenic. The levels were set by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in August 2020.

FDA Logo; image courtesy of the Food and Drug Administration via Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org

At the moment, there have been no reported illnesses linked to the recall. The affected products were distributed across the country, in stores and online. If you or someone you know has the affected cereal, either toss it or return it for a refund. If you have additional questions or concerns, visit Beech-Nut Nutrition's website or call 1-866-272-9417. Fortunately, no other products or production dates are included in the recall.In addition to the recall, Beech-Nut said they will stop producing the cereal going forward because the company is worried about “the ability to consistently obtain rice flour well-below FDA guidance level and Beech-Nut specifications for naturally occurring inorganic arsenic.” Jason Jacobs, Vice President of food safety and quality, said, “The safety of infants and children is Beech-Nut's top priority.”

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Popular baby cereal recalled due to arsenic levelsBeech-Nut Nutrition Company Issues a Voluntary Recall of One Lot of Beech-Nut Single Grain Rice Cereal and Also Decides to Exit the Rice Cereal Segment