By Jason Hall
Parents will want to double check what they re feeding their babies.
A new report by the United States Oversight subcommittee released on Thursday (February 4) reveals some popular baby foods contain significant levels of toxic heavy metals, which could harm their babies neurological development.
According to the report, baby food products found to contain lead, cadmium and arsenic included the brands Beech-Nut, Earth s Best Organic, Happy Family Organics and Gerber.
Happy Family Organics products were also found to have mercury. These results are multiples higher than allowed under existing regulations for other products, the report stated. Internal company standards permit dangerously high levels of toxic heavy metals, and documents revealed that the manufacturers have often sold foods that exceeded those levels.
Karl Tapales via Getty Images
A new report says baby foods may contain dangerous levels of heavy metals, which can be harmful to growing brains.
The investigators examined a wide range of rice cereals, purees, puffs and juices from Nurture (which sells Happy Family Organics), Beech-Nut Nutrition, Hain Celestial Group (which sells the Earth’s Best Organics brand) and Gerber. They allege those companies have permitted the sale of foods tainted with arsenic, lead, cadmium and mercury.
The investigators also noted they were “greatly concerned” that Walmart, Campbell Soup and Sprout Organic Foods did not cooperate with their inquiries.
All of the baby food manufacturers cited in the report have taken issue with it in some form or another as well as noting that the Food and Drug Administration does not set federal standards for toxic heavy metals in baby foods.
WASHINGTON - US congressional investigators found "dangerous levels of toxic heavy metals" in certain baby foods that could cause neurological damage, a House Oversight subcommittee said in a report released on Thursday (Feb 4) in calling for new standards and testing requirements. The panel examined baby food made by Nurture, Hain Celestial Group, Beech-Nut Nutrition and Gerber, a unit of.
Congressional report finds toxic heavy metals in some baby food
By Stephanie Weaver
Prior investigation finds 95 percent of baby foods tested had toxic metals
A prior investigation found that 95 percent were contaminated with one or more of four toxic heavy metals, including arsenic, lead, cadmium and mercury.
LOS ANGELES - U.S. congressional investigators found that some baby foods contained dangerous levels of heavy metals that could endanger infant neurological development and long-term brain function, according to a report released Thursday by the Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy.
Led by Democratic Chairman Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, the committee’s investigation found that top baby foods carried dangerous levels of inorganic arsenic, lead, cadmium and mercury.