We Found Toxic Pesticides in Target’s Baby Food — Again

Friends of the Earth conducted lab tests on Target's Good & Gather baby food in August 2025, finding 29 different pesticides across apple and pear purées. The analysis identified 16 highly hazardous pesticides, including carcinogens, endocrine disruptors, and neurotoxins, as well as five PFAS 'forever chemicals'. The report highlights that while levels were below U.S. EPA limits, these standards are outdated and fail to account for the vulnerability of developing infants. It further links the use of these pesticides to biodiversity loss, specifically harming pollinators and soil health, and advocates for a transition to organic farming to reduce toxic exposure and mitigate climate change.

• Lab tests of Target's Good & Gather Apple Fruit Purée and Pear Fruit Purée revealed a total of 29 pesticides, with the most polluted jar containing 18 different pesticides.
• Of the detected pesticides, 16 are classified as highly hazardous, 10 are banned in the European Union, 8 are linked to hormone disruption, and 6 are classified by the U.S. EPA as "probable" or "likely" carcinogens.
• Five pesticides identified in the samples meet the definition of PFAS 'forever chemicals', including flonicamid, flubendiamde, fluopyram, novaluron, and trifloxystrobin; flubendiamde is banned in the U.S.
• Organophosphate metabolites were detected in 100% of both pear and apple baby food samples, indicating the use of organophosphates in the supply chain.
• Neonicotinoid pesticides, including acetamiprid, clothianidin, and thiacloprid, were found in both product types; these chemicals are linked to the extinction of over 200 endangered species according to the EPA.
• The report argues that U.S. EPA pesticide standards are outdated and influenced by industry, failing to ban dozens of toxic pesticides that are already outlawed in the European Union.
• Pesticide production is described as energy-intensive, contributing to agricultural greenhouse gas emissions and fueling climate change.

APA

Friends of the Earth (2025). We Found Toxic Pesticides in Target’s Baby Food — Again. https://foe.org/toxic-pesticides-found-in-target-baby-food/

Chicago

Friends of the Earth. We Found Toxic Pesticides in Target’s Baby Food — Again. 2025. https://foe.org/toxic-pesticides-found-in-target-baby-food/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Friends of the Earth |title=We Found Toxic Pesticides in Target’s Baby Food — Again |date=18 November 2025 |url=https://foe.org/toxic-pesticides-found-in-target-baby-food/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{friendsoftheearth2025found, author = {{Friends of the Earth}}, title = {{We Found Toxic Pesticides in Target’s Baby Food — Again}}, institution = {Friends of the Earth}, year = {2025}, month = nov, url = {https://foe.org/toxic-pesticides-found-in-target-baby-food/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }