Significant amounts of arsenic, lead, mercury and other toxic heavy metals are found in baby food produced by the largest such companies in the United States, according to a report released Thursday by a House Oversight subcommittee.
Why does it matter: Babies and children are more vulnerable to severe and neurotoxic damage caused by toxic heavy metals than adults. The report claims that the FDA under the Trump administration failed to take action after learning of the increased risk of heavy metals in baby food.
- “Exposure to these toxic heavy metals affects the development of babies’ brains and nervous systems, affects their behavior, permanently lowers their IQ, and, if you want to reduce it to dollars, their potential for life,” said Tom Neltner, director of chemical policy. for the Environmental Protection Fund, he told the Washington Post.
What they found: Gerber, seller no. 1 baby food in the US, “rarely tests for mercury”. Many of the company’s ingredients contained cadmium, lead and products high in arsenic, according to the report.
- Beech walnut, the second largest seller in the country, commonly used high-arsenic additives and “many high-lead ingredients”. The company does not test mercury in its food.
- Hain Celestial, producer of the best organic food on Earth, he sold finished products with high levels of arsenic and usually did not test the finished products. The company also used “many high-lead ingredients” and 102 cadmium ingredients.
- Feed, manufacturer of Happy Family Organics products, has sold baby food with up to 641 parts per billion (ppb) of lead. The company’s tests found that its typical baby food product contained 60 ppb of inorganic arsenic.
By numbers: The FDA has set a maximum limit for inorganic arsenic in bottled water at 10 ppb. Beech-Nut used ingredients after testing up to 913 ppb arsenic, while Hain sold baby food containing up to 129 ppb arsenic, according to the report.
What are they saying: The committee’s report accuses producers of “knowingly” selling baby food to unsuspecting parents, despite the results of the company’s internal tests showing high levels of non-toxic heavy metal and no warning labels, “said President Raja Krishnamoorthi. (D-Ill.) Said in a press release.
- “I look forward to the FDA’s careful regulation of these toxic heavy metals in baby food, followed by strict compliance requirements and mandatory labels for consumers,” Krishnamoorthi said.
The FDA said in a statement that it reviews the report’s findings and “takes seriously the exposure to toxic elements in the food supply, especially when it comes to protecting the health and safety of the youngest and most vulnerable in the population”.
- “Toxic elements, such as arsenic, are present in the environment and enter the food supply through soil, water or air. As they cannot be completely eliminated, our goal is to reduce exposure to toxic elements in food as much as possible and we have been actively working on this issue using a risk-based approach to set priorities and target the agency’s efforts. ” said the agency.
- We recognize that there is more work to be done, but the FDA reiterates its strong commitment to further reducing consumer exposure to toxic elements and other food contaminants. ”
Gerber told the Post that he did not see the report and could not comment on the specific conclusions. Hain did not respond to the Post’s requests for comment.
- A Beech-Nut spokesman said in a statement to Axios that the company’s food is “safe and nutritious” and that the company is reviewing the report and looks forward to continuing to work with the FDA and the Baby Food Council.
- Happy Family Organics said in a statement that the company is “disappointed by the numerous inaccuracies, the selected use of data and the trend of tone” in the committee’s report. “We can say with the utmost confidence that all Happy Family Organics products are safe for babies and young children,” the spokesman said.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated with statements from Happy Family Organics and Beech-Nut.