Officials have issued a recall for popular baby food product over fear that it may increase the risk of autism in children. 

The Food and Drug Administration has announced that the Greenwise Pear Kiwi Spinach & Pea Baby Food Pouch 4oz are being called back due to potential lead contamination. 

The affected product, which is mostly sold in Publix grocery stores, is marketed for babies aged six months or older and has been given a Class II recall designation. 

While not as urgent as a Class I recall, the Class II designation indicates that exposure to the product may cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences. 

According to the agency, the food pouches were distributed in 1,400 stores across the states of Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama, Virginia and Kentucky. 

The baby food pouch has a 'Best if used by' date of November 1, 2025. As of now, the FDA or Publix have not yet reported cases of illness. 

While Publix has not yet revealed how many units of the product were affected, a total of 53,620 units with the same 'best used by' date have been distributed across the affected states. 

Previous studies have linked lead exposure in children to learning disabilities, along with damage to the kidneys, reproductive, cardiovascular and digestive systems and autism spectrum disorder. 

Long-term exposure can also contribute to developmental delays, lower IQ and behavioral issues in children. 

Publix Director of Communications Maria Brous said of the recall: 'As part of our commitment to food safety, potentially impacted products have been removed from all store shelves. 

'To date, there have been no reported cases of illness. Consumers who have purchased the product in question may return the product to their local store for a full refund.'

While the FDA noted that the food pouches may be 'contaminated with elevated levels of lead', it has not specified by how much. 

The lead contamination was found as a result of routine sampling by the federal agency.

While lead exposure can be toxic for everyone, children younger than six years of age are at greatest risk for problems from it as their bodies absorb lead more easily - leading to lead poisoning. 

Lead poisoning occurs when minuscule amounts of the metal builds up in the body, often over months or years. 

Although lead-based paint in older buildings are most likely to cause poisoning, lead contaminated food, water and air can also affect children. 

Usually, the metal taints baby food through additives, heavy lead concentration in the soil where ingredients are grown and during processing, such as in tanks used to process spices or in equipment that handles food. 

Many children with lead poisoning have no symptoms but even low levels of the metal in their blood can lead to learning and behavior problems, such as trouble paying attention. 

Over time, these difficulties can push them towards the autism spectrum - as evidenced by numerous studies. 

According to a 2021 International Journal of Molecular Sciences review, lead exposure has been linked to causing the most neurological deficits in people as compared to other metals.

Moreover, researchers found that while the root cause of autism still remains unclear, metal exposure has been shown to contribute to increasing its impact.

Other studies have also found that certain characteristics of lead may play a significant role in the furthering of autistic behavior.

Some of the most common symptoms of lead poisoning in babies and children include loss of appetite, feeling tired or irritable, poor growth, constipation, joint pain and muscle weakness. 

A simple blood test can detect lead poisoning and treatments include increased intake of calcium, iron and Vitamin C for young children. 

Last month, Health and Human Services secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr sparked fury for his comments about measles vaccines and autism. 

The HHS Secretary was grilled on Chris Cuomo's show on NewsNation for his role in eroding public trust in the measles vaccine, which has led to a resurgence of the virus.

After noting that Canada's measles count stands higher at 1,069 cases, RFK Jr performed a balletic pivot to a different 'epidemic': autism.

'We've had four measles deaths in this country in 20 years,' RFK Jr said animatedly.

'We have 100,000 autism cases a year...That should be in the headlines,' Kennedy told a panel of journalists appearing with Cuomo before an audience of supporters.

He added: 'When I was a kid, there were 2 million measles cases a year and none of them got headlines. And we had 400 deaths.

'We had deaths between 1 in 1,200 and 1 in 10,000. We have so many kids now who are afflicted by chronic disease. And the media never covers them. They only want to cover measles.'

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about one in 31 American children were diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder as of 2022.