Enfamil Lawsuit Says Infant Formula Contains Undisclosed Forever Chemicals

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A proposed class action lawsuit alleges the makers of Enfamil have falsely and misleadingly advertised that the popular infant formula is safe and healthy for babies given that the products contain organic fluorine, a marker for the presence of synthetic “forever chemicals.” 

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The 41-page Enfamil class action lawsuit says that although defendants Mead Johnson & Company and Reckitt Benckiser tout the infant formula product line as a safe, healthy feeding option for babies that’s subject to extensive quality and safety checks, the Enfamil formula, unbeknownst to consumers, contains per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances—PFAS—as determined by the presence of organic fluorine.

“The Enfamil products are particularly concerning given the fact that an infant is being exposed to the products’ contents through repeated ingestion several times a day,” the proposed class action emphasizes, summarizing that the existence of organic fluorine in Enfamil formula raises significant health and safety concerns material to a reasonable consumer.

According to the baby formula lawsuit, each product in Mead Johnson and Reckitt’s Enfamil product line—Enfamil NeuroPro Infant Formula, Enfamil Simply ProSobee Plant-Based Infant Formula and Enfamil Infant Formula Milk-Based Powder with Iron—were found to contain “fully fluorinated carbon atoms and organic fluorine.”

Per the complaint, the results of two rounds of independent, third-party testing commissioned by the plaintiff indicated that the Enfamil products at issue contained “dangerous levels of organic fluorine,” in amounts in excess of the limit set by certain state laws.

“To put the test results into perspective, the California legislature recently enacted law that will limit the total amount of intentionally added organic fluorine in cosmetic products to zero […]. The EPA has found there is no safe level of PFAS in drinking water. Because PFAS chemicals are ‘forever chemicals’ and accumulate in the human body, there is in fact no safe manner or level of exposure to humans.” 

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are known as forever chemicals due to their extreme resilience to degradation in the environment and penchant to accumulate in the human body over time, the filing relays. Per the complaint, exposure to PFAS has been linked to cancers, hormone disruption, kidney and liver damage, thyroid disease, immune system issues and other serious health effects.

The suit relays that the marketing of Enfamil infant formula does not include any disclosure of the existence of, and potential health risks from, organic fluorine or forever chemicals in the products. A disclosure is particularly necessary given that the plaintiff and other proposed class members “do not understand what organic fluorine and PFAS are or their potential health risks,” the case contends.

Overall, the existence of fluorine in Enfamil “directly contradicts” Mead Johnson and Reckitt’s representations of the infant formula as a safe, healthy feeding option that undergoes strict quality and safety checks and is committed to reducing its environmental impact. 

Last summer, the FDA sent a warning letter to Mead Johnson, Reckitt and other formula companies over concerns about quality control problems at certain manufacturing facilities. The letters came in the wake of a major formula recall from Abbott Labs in 2022 after the company’s infant formula facility was shut down amid reports that certain infant formulas were contaminated with Cronobacter sakazakii, which can be fatal to babies. 

The Enfamil class action lawsuit looks to cover all persons who bought one or more of the Enfamil infant formula products highlighted on this page in California within the last four years.

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