Several baby food products currently contain higher levels of toxic metals compared to five years ago, despite industry pressure to remove harmful contaminants. A recent investigation conducted by a consumer watchdog examined 14 popular baby foods and compared the levels of lead, arsenic, and cadmium in seven of them to results from 2018. The chosen products were based on their past high levels of metals.
The results revealed that three products, specifically Gerber’s Chicken Rice Dinner and Turkey Rice Dinner flavors, as well as Hot Kid Baby Mum-Mum Teething Wafers, showed an increase in metal levels. Only one product, Beech-Nut baby food sweet potato flavor, maintained the same levels. Both Gerber Chicken and Rice and Gerber Turkey and Rice had higher amounts of metals than previously found in the Consumer Reports’ 2018 study.
Moreover, the rice-based Mum-Mum Teething Wafers from Hot Kid also exhibited higher metal levels compared to five years ago. Notably, three of the highest-risk foods in the current year, including purees from Gerber and Beech-Nut, all contained sweet potatoes.
A spokesperson for Gerber stated that they collaborate closely with their farmers to select optimal growing locations based on climate and soil conditions. They also approve fields after conducting soil testing and rotate crops to ensure safety. Furthermore, Gerber is investing in new research, partnering with public land-grant universities to study soil and varietal variables that could reduce the uptake of heavy metals by carrots and sweet potatoes.
Rice is a primary ingredient in many teething puffs, which are often consumed in large quantities to alleviate pain. These foods tend to absorb high levels of metals, such as lead, from the soil during their growth. Areas near highways or small airports, where leaded gasoline has been used in the past, may have higher metal concentrations, as highlighted by Consumer Reports.
The Earth’s Best Organic Sunny Days Bars experienced a significant improvement, with over 90% of lead eliminated from the product since 2018. Moreover, foods from areas where arsenic pesticides have been used present higher risks of metal contamination.
Eric Boring, a chemist working with Consumer Reports, emphasized that as heavy metals are widespread in foods and accumulate in the body, even small exposures from various foods can add up. Therefore, feeding children near the daily serving limits leaves little room for exposure to heavy metals from other sources.
The CDC warns that young children exposed to lead can experience developmental issues in their brain and nervous system. It is estimated that around 2.5% of children under the age of five have been exposed to dangerous levels of lead, which can lead to slowed growth, learning difficulties, behavioral issues, hearing impairments, and speech problems. Arsenic, found in several products, is a known carcinogen that increases the risk of bladder, lung, and skin cancers. It is also linked to neurodevelopmental disorders and higher infant mortality rates.
In a previous report by Healthy Babies, 95% of the 168 baby foods tested contained toxic metals, including lead, arsenic, cadmium, and mercury. Additionally, 88% of these products had no enforceable guidelines regarding these metals. Rice, sweet potatoes, and carrots were identified as posing the highest risks in 2018, while this year’s results indicated that sweet potatoes and rice were the most concerning.
However, there were a few products that showed improvements between 2018 and 2023. For example, Earth’s Best Organic’s Sunny Days Snack Bars, previously limited to one serving per day, became the lowest-risk food on the list, allowing up to 4.5 servings per day with a 91% reduction in lead levels. Happy Baby Organics Superfood Puffs in Apple and Broccoli and Purple Carrot and Blueberry flavors also saw slight improvements, from one serving to 1.5 servings.
A study conducted by Florida State University revealed that lead poisoning has caused an average loss of 2.6 IQ points per person in the United States, primarily due to gasoline exposure. In response, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommended limits for lead in baby food. The agency proposed restricting lead levels to 10 parts per billion (ppb) in fruits, certain vegetables, yogurt, and 20 ppb in root vegetables such as carrots, beets, and potatoes, as well as dry cereal.
It is crucial to note that no safe level of lead has been identified for kids. Lead becomes toxic for children starting at around 10 mcg/dl, as stated by the CDC.
Denial of responsibility! VigourTimes is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
