Concern over 'metal in baby food'

Heinz has asked for the metal to be sent so it can be analysed

Heinz has promised a full investigation over a mother's claim that her son's baby food contained a 17mm metal shard.

Rachael Cousins, from Margate, Kent, said 10-month-old Archie suffered a cut inside his mouth while being fed the spaghetti bolognese food by his father.

She saved the container and the metal as evidence and contacted Heinz.

The company said: "We have immediately sent her some packaging so that she can return it [the shard] to us in order to carry out a full investigation."

Heinz added it was an isolated incident, and that it went to "enormous lengths to ensure that all our varieties meet the most exacting quality procedures".

It promised Ms Cousins would be given the full results of the company's probe.

Ms Cousins said her son was bleeding out of his mouth

Archie's mother and father said they were certain the piece of metal could not have come from another source.

Ms Cousins said: "Archie had started to cry a little bit and Lee was a bit concerned because he normally loves his food.

"Archie opened his mouth a bit and Lee could see there was a piece of metal in his mouth.

"He managed to take it out, gave him a drink and tried to calm him down, but he was dribbling and it was coming out red, so we can only assume it cut him somewhere."

Ms Cousins got a full refund from the supermarket where the baby food was purchased, but she has called on Heinz to remove the product from the shelves.