For generations, feeding a baby meant pureeing what you had at dinner, or if you were in a pinch opening a jar of Gerber, a small glass jar and scooping out mashed pears or applesauce with a spoon.
Today, many babies around the world skip the spoon entirely and suck pureed food directly from plastic pouches marketed as convenient, organic, and safe. These pouches are sold at organic stores, and Trader Joe’s as healthy options and they are put in McDonald’s Happy Meals so parents don’t feel guilty about junk food.
But a disturbing new report that Greenpeace sent to Green Prophet suggests that what babies may also be swallowing is plastic. A Greenpeace International investigation commissioned in 2025 found microplastics in every baby food pouch tested, including products from Gerber and Happy Baby Organics. Researchers estimate that a single Gerber pouch may contain more than 5,000 microplastic particles, while a Happy Baby Organics pouch may contain over 11,000. You can download the report here.
This is among the first studies to examine the food itself, not just the packaging.
Babies and microplastics
Microplastics are now everywhere. Green Prophet has reported on them in the air we breathe, the food we eat, and even in orthodontic products such as Invisalign. Scientists have detected microplastics in human blood, placentas, lungs, and breast milk.
Now they are showing up in baby food.
Babies are uniquely vulnerable. Their brains, immune systems, and hormones are still developing. According to Dr. Leo Trasande of NYU, early exposure to plastic chemicals is associated with obesity, reproductive disorders, and neurodevelopmental problems that can last a lifetime. ADHD, depression in kids? Maybe this is microplastics.
The Greenpeace report also identified plastic-associated chemicals, including 2,4-di-tert-butylphenol, a compound linked to endocrine disruption.
From glass jars to squeeze-and-suck
Plastic pouches have exploded in popularity. Sales in the United States rose roughly 900% between 2010 and 2023, and pouches now dominate baby food shelves worldwide.
Parents were sold a vision of convenience: organic fruits and vegetables in BPA-free packaging.But “BPA-free” does not mean chemical-free.
And feeding directly from a pouch may create other problems. Health professionals warn that sucking purees can contribute to tooth decay, dental alignment issues, overeating, and delays in oral and sensory development.
The healthiest option may be the oldest one: Buy local, fresh, organic apples. Steam them. Mash them into applesauce. Store them in glass jars. Feed your baby with a spoon.
It is slower, yes. But childhood was never meant to be optimized for adults in a hurry.
Using a spoon teaches patience. There is texture, eye contact, conversation. Not sucking from a pouch while watching YouTube. And unlike plastic pouches, it doesn’t add thousands of invisible particles to lunch.
Until manufacturers prove these products are safe, parents may want to return to what worked for generations before us: real food, in real containers, prepared with love.
“For nearly a century, Gerber has been one of the most trusted names in feeding American babies. That trust has been shattered. They’re serving babies microplastics with every pouch. Gerber promises ‘anything for baby.’ We’re asking for one simple thing: stop serving microplastics for lunch,” says Lindsey Jurca, Senior Plastics Campaigner at Greenpeace USA.
Greenpeace is filing a report on studies that have taken place earlier. In 2023 Kuzi Hussein from the University of Nebraska─Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska and colleagues looked at microplastics in the home, in food pouches and all kinds of plastic containers.
They looked at the release of microplastics and nanoplastics from plastic containers and reusable food pouches under different usage scenarios, using DI water and 3% acetic acid as food simulants for aqueous foods and acidic foods.
The results indicated that microwave heating caused the highest release of microplastics and nanoplastics into food compared to other usage scenarios, such as refrigeration or room-temperature storage.
It was found that some containers could release as many as 4.22 million microplastic and 2.11 billion nanoplastic particles from only one square centimeter of plastic area within 3 min of microwave heating. Refrigeration and room-temperature storage for over six months can also release millions to billions of microplastics and nanoplastics. Additionally, the polyethylene-based food pouch released more particles than polypropylene-based plastic containers.
Exposure modeling results suggested that the highest estimated daily intake was 20.3 ng/kg·day for infants drinking microwaved water and 22.1 ng/kg·day for toddlers consuming microwaved dairy products from polypropylene containers.
