Ishita Roy

Good News For Parents: Baby Food Labels Must Reveal Lead And Other Heavy Metals

Baby food labels must read label and other toxic elements

Just a few hours ago we discussed the heavy metals like lead being found in protein powder. But, the question is: Is it only dangerous for those who go to gym? Or does it affect others too? 

Well, it does affect others, that too babies. This is because lead and other toxic heavy metals have been found in elevated amounts in some commercial baby foods sold in the United States. However, this is not a new information. Earlier in 2019, the Healthy Babies Bright Futures investigation revealed toxic heavy metals which are found in baby food that can possibly damage your baby's brain development.

Tests of 168 baby foods from major manufacturers in the US found 95% contained lead, 73% contained arsenic, 75% contained cadmium and 32% contained mercury. About a quarter of the foods contained all four heavy metals. 

One in five baby foods tested had over 10 times the 1-ppb limit of lead endorsed by public health advocates. Experts however agree that there is no safe levels of lead. The results also seconded the findings by the Food and Drug Administration that found one or more of the same metals in 33 of 39 types of baby food tested.

The hope is that finally the parents will know if they are feeding their kids toxic products, as a new California law requires baby food manufacturers to use an accredited lab to test representative samples of an infant and toddler food, excluding infant formula, at least once a month for levels of arsenic, cadmium, lead and mercury. 

The law has been implemented from January1, where baby food manufacturers must provide those test results to public. Many baby food products are now providing a QR code which can be scanned, and the page will land up on a website with results. Anyone can access these results by scanning the code. The new law, for now, only applies to sales of baby food in California. However, major manufacturers, including market leaders Gerber and Beech Nut are rolling out QR codes on baby and toddler foods nationwide. 

The executive director of the Clean Label Project, a nonprofit dedicated to transparent food labeling, Jaclyn Bowel, told CNN, "This is a transparency law, and in the court of public opinion, transparency is where you breed accountability."

“With all this information going public, we’re going to force the conversation — what are we feeding America’s children? Let’s make sure that we’re talking about nutrient-dense healthy baby foods that come from good healthy soils created by good environmental policy,” Bowen said.

There have been many investigations over the last ten years, which have attempted to reveal the alarming levels of heavy metals in supermarket baby foods. 

Of the heavy metals found in baby food, here are the properties:

Arsenic: It is a naturally occurring, semi metallic element that can be found in the air, water, and soil. It is toxic and can cause health problems including skin lesions and cancer.

Cadmium: It is a soft malleable, bluish white metal, which is found in zinc ores. It is obtained from zinc byproducts and used in nickel-cadmium batteries. As per the World Health Organization, it can ruin your kidney, skeletal and respiratory system, along with causing cancer.

Lead: It is a soft, silvery white or grayish metal, which is malleable, ductile, and dense. It can be toxic and lead to lead poisoning, as notes the WHO, causing damaged to kidney, cardiovascular problems and high blood pressure.

Mercury: It is a silver-white metal, that is found in liquid form, used in thermometers to measure temperature. WHO states that mercury too can have toxic effects on the nervous system, digestive system and immune system.

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Just a few hours ago we discussed the heavy metals like lead being found in protein powder. But, the question is: Is it only dangerous for those who go to gym? Or does it affect others too? Well, it does affect others, that too babies. This is because lead and other toxic heavy metals have been found in elevated amounts in some commercial baby foods sold in the United States. However, this is not a new information. Earlier in 2019, the Healthy Babies Bright Futures investigation revealed toxic heavy metals which are found in baby food that can possibly damage your baby's brain development. Tests of 168 baby foods from major manufacturers in the US found 95% contained lead, 73% contained arsenic, 75% contained cadmium and 32% contained mercury. About a quarter of the foods contained all four heavy metals. One in five baby foods tested had over 10 times the 1-ppb limit of lead endorsed by public health advocates. Experts however agree that there is no safe levels of lead. The results also seconded the findings by the Food and Drug Administration that found one or more of the same metals in 33 of 39 types of baby food tested.Good News For ParentsThe hope is that finally the parents will know if they are feeding their kids toxic products, as a new California law requires baby food manufacturers to use an accredited lab to test representative samples of an infant and toddler food, excluding infant formula, at least once a month for levels of arsenic, cadmium, lead and mercury. The law has been implemented from January1, where baby food manufacturers must provide those test results to public. Many baby food products are now providing a QR code which can be scanned, and the page will land up on a website with results. Anyone can access these results by scanning the code. The new law, for now, only applies to sales of baby food in California. However, major manufacturers, including market leaders Gerber and Beech Nut are rolling out QR codes on baby and toddler foods nationwide. The executive director of the Clean Label Project, a nonprofit dedicated to transparent food labeling, Jaclyn Bowel, told CNN, "This is a transparency law, and in the court of public opinion, transparency is where you breed accountability."“With all this information going public, we’re going to force the conversation — what are we feeding America’s children? Let’s make sure that we’re talking about nutrient-dense healthy baby foods that come from good healthy soils created by good environmental policy,” Bowen said.Heavy metals and baby foodsThere have been many investigations over the last ten years, which have attempted to reveal the alarming levels of heavy metals in supermarket baby foods. Of the heavy metals found in baby food, here are the properties:Arsenic: It is a naturally occurring, semi metallic element that can be found in the air, water, and soil. It is toxic and can cause health problems including skin lesions and cancer.Cadmium: It is a soft malleable, bluish white metal, which is found in zinc ores. It is obtained from zinc byproducts and used in nickel-cadmium batteries. As per the World Health Organization, it can ruin your kidney, skeletal and respiratory system, along with causing cancer. Lead: It is a soft, silvery white or grayish metal, which is malleable, ductile, and dense. It can be toxic and lead to lead poisoning, as notes the WHO, causing damaged to kidney, cardiovascular problems and high blood pressure. Mercury: It is a silver-white metal, that is found in liquid form, used in thermometers to measure temperature. WHO states that mercury too can have toxic effects on the nervous system, digestive system and immune system.