New Report Finds Toxic Metals In Some Baby Food Brands
Here s more troubling news as 2021 rolls on. A congressional investigation has found levels of arsenic, lead and other toxic metals that can harm brain development in many popular baby foods, including organic brands.
According to a story reported on by WHDH/7 News Boston and the Associated Press, in a report released Thursday, a U.S. House Subcommittee said it requested internal data from seven companies, including Walmart, in 2019 after a nonprofit called Healthy Babies Bright Futures published results of testing it did on baby foods.
Four of the companies Gerber, Beech-Nut, Earth’s Best Organics maker Hain Celestial and Happy Family Organics maker Nurture Inc. shared documents. The subcommittee said Walmart, Sprout Foods and Campbell Soup Co., which makes Plum Organics baby food, didn’t cooperate.
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.
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.
Toxic metals might be more common in baby foods because of the vitamins and minerals added to those foods during processing, he said. Rice, a common ingredient in baby foods, also tends to have high levels of arsenic. Rice is grown in water, and arsenic from the soil dissolves when it comes in contact with water, he said.
Because babies brains are still developing, there is a lot of concern about how those metals could damage that development, Hansen said. By the time symptoms like behavioral problems show up, it can be difficult to trace them back to foods, he said.
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.