Parents Find Note in Jar That Warned of Tainted Baby Food

Irvine police said Wednesday they have asked local grocers to inspect their stocks of Gerber baby food after a customer reported finding a note in a jar warning that it had been tainted.

The request came as the federal Food and Drug Administration joined the investigation that began after the parents of a 9-month-old fed their daughter from a jar of Gerber’s banana dessert blend Monday night, said Lt. Jeff Love.

The parents, whose identities were not released, took the infant to Irvine Regional Hospital and Medical Center for observation. “The baby is doing fine. She did not become ill and appears to be in good health,” Love said.

The note was found wrapped in cellophane and had a reference to an Irvine police officer, said Love, who declined to provide more details.

The mother told police she wasn’t sure where she had bought the jar of baby food. Police are trying to find the store based on the family’s receipts, Love said, but as a precaution, stores in the city selling Gerber baby foods were asked to inspect products for tampering. Some markets removed Gerber baby food from their shelves, he said.

Love said police do not believe the food was tampered with in the manufacturing stage.

The food, jar and note were sent to the Orange County crime lab for analysis. Police are hoping to find a fingerprint or DNA on the note.