Congressional Investigation Finds Leading Baby Food Manufacturers Knowingly Sold Products With High Levels Of Toxic Metals

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The post Congressional Investigation Finds Leading Baby Food Manufacturers Knowingly Sold Products With High Levels Of Toxic Metals appeared first on Healthy Holistic Living.

The focus of any business is to make a profit, which sometimes involves cutting corners.

In a February 2021 controversy involving baby food, the duty of some companies to provide safe and nutritious products has come into question.

Heavy metals were detected in baby food, and an uproar is ensuing; calling for more checks and restrictions in production.

Company Co-operation In Testing

Following reports showing elevated levels of toxic heavy metals in baby foods, on November 6, 2019, the Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy demanded internal records from some of the largest baby food suppliers in the United States.

Makers of seven organic and conventional products were asked to do tests:

Beech-Nut Nutrition Company (Beech-Nut)
Hain Celestial Group, Inc. (Hain), which sells products under Earth’s Best Organic
Gerber
Walmart Inc. (Walmart), which sells products through its private brand Parent’s Choice
Sprout Foods, Inc. (Sprout Organic Foods)
Campbell’s Soup company, which sells through Parent’s Choice
Nurture, Inc. (Nurture), which sells Happy Family Organics, including under the name HappyBABY (1)

Four out of seven responded – Nurture, Beech-Nut, Hain, and Gerber.

Walmart, Campbell, and Sprout Organic Foods refused to cooperate.

According to the test results obtained, significant levels of toxic heavy metals, including arsenic, lead, cadmium, and mercury were found. (1)

The results showed contamination of up to 91 times the arsenic level, 177 times the lead level, 69 times the cadmium level, and up to 5 times the mercury level, of what’s normally considered safe for bottled water.

Dangers Of Heavy Metals

Toxic heavy metals endanger infant neurological development and long-term brain function. Mercury on its own is absorbed through the gastrointestinal tract and affects other systems via this pathway. (1,2)

Exposure to heavy metals has been linked to behavioral impairments, brain damage, and even death. Permanent decreases in IQ diminished future economic productivity, and increased risk of future criminal and antisocial behavior are future known problems. (1)

On August 1, 2019, FDA received a secret slide presentation from Hain revealing that corporate policies to test only ingredients, not final products, underrepresented the levels of toxic heavy metals in baby foods.

It was also found many were tainted with high levels of inorganic arsenic, and that producers may be adding ingredients that have high levels of toxic heavy metals, such as vitamin/mineral pre-mix.

Baby foods containing heavy metals hold no label warnings for parents to this day. Manufacturers are free to monitor only ingredients or to do no testing at all for the vast majority. (1)

Recommendations For Baby Food

The Subcommittee made the following recommendations – Mandatory testing for toxic heavy metals (not just ingredients), levels of heavy metals to be displayed on food labels, and one level for each metal should apply, and be approved by FDA.

Their final recommendation was more parental vigilance in making decisions when buying baby food.

The idea of making one’s own baby food seems to be gaining popularity. However increased population of women professionals, awareness of adequate nutrition, and lifestyle change are the drivers of the baby food market.

Until proper labeling, we cannot keep an eye, but we can keep a thought on what at the moment, it still doesn’t say on the tin. (3, 4)

The post Congressional Investigation Finds Leading Baby Food Manufacturers Knowingly Sold Products With High Levels Of Toxic Metals appeared first on Healthy Holistic Living.

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