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Greenpeace International has released a report alleging that baby food sold in plastic pouches by Nestlé and Danone contains microplastics, raising concerns over the safety of plastic packaging used in infant nutrition products.
The report, titled 'Tiny plastics, big problem: The hidden risks of plastic pouches for baby food,' analysed baby food products sold under Nestlé’s Gerber brand and Danone’s Happy Baby Organics range. According to the findings, every sample tested contained microplastic particles, alongside a range of plastic-associated chemicals detected in both the packaging and food contents.
Researchers found up to 54 microplastic particles per gram of food in Gerber pouches and up to 99 particles per gram in Happy Baby Organics products. Greenpeace said this equates to as many as 270 and 495 microplastics per teaspoon respectively. The report estimated that individual pouches could contain more than 5,000 microplastic particles in Gerber products and over 11,000 in Happy Baby Organics pouches.
The study also suggested a potential link between polyethylene – the material used to line many plastic pouches – and some of the microplastics identified in the food samples. Researchers further detected several plastic-related chemicals, including what Greenpeace described as a potential endocrine disruptor in the Gerber samples tested.
Graham Forbes, global plastics campaign lead at Greenpeace USA, said: “This study is a wake-up call for parents everywhere, who trust these brands to put their kids first. Plastic-dependent companies like Nestlé and Danone owe families a clear answer: what are they doing to eliminate microplastics and chemicals from the products they sell to babies?”
Plastic squeeze pouches have become one of the fastest-growing formats in the global baby food market, accounting for more than 37% of packaging volume in 2025, according to the report. Greenpeace said the format is projected to continue expanding at an annual growth rate of 8.18% through to 2031, surpassing traditional packaging formats such as glass jars.
The environmental group warned that babies may be particularly vulnerable to microplastic exposure due to their developing organs and relatively high food intake compared to body weight. It also linked the growth of flexible multilayer plastic packaging to broader concerns around plastic pollution and recycling challenges.
Nestlé and Danone have previously appeared among the top plastic polluters in brand audits conducted by the Break Free From Plastic movement, Greenpeace noted.
Greenpeace is now calling on baby food manufacturers to investigate the presence of microplastics in their products, phase out plastic packaging and transition toward reusable, plastic-free alternatives. The organisation also urged negotiators involved in the ongoing UN Global Plastics Treaty discussions to support measures aimed at reducing plastic production and restricting harmful chemical contamination.