Bitter Surprise: Alarming Levels of Heavy Metals Found in Baby Food and Snacks in the USA
Baby food and snacks, meant to be some of the healthiest and most regulated products, have recently been found to contain alarming levels of heavy metals, including lead. This shocking discovery was made by a test conducted by US magazine Consumer Reports in 2018 on popular snacks and mixes.
The test revealed that out of 50 products analyzed, 33 were associated with potential health risks for children due to the presence of heavy metals. Unfortunately, not much progress has been made since then, despite pressure from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The situation remains concerning.
James E. Rogers, director of food safety research and testing at Consumer Reports, commented, “In some of the products, the decrease in some heavy metals was offset by the increase in others, so there was little change in the amount of food the children could eat. And we still found elevated levels in the foods that were found to be the most concerning in our tests, namely rice, sweet potatoes, and snack foods.”
In a recent survey, 14 products available in the American market, including fruit and vegetable-based smoothies, baby food, bars, biscuits, wafers, and teething snacks, were tested. The research focused on foods that had significant levels of heavy metals in 2018. Leading brands such as Gerber and Happy Baby Organics were included in the test.
To determine the risks associated with combined exposure to arsenic, cadmium, and lead in these foods, Consumer Reports experts consulted data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.
The test revealed a mixed bag of results. While certain heavy metals, such as arsenic, showed a decrease in some products compared to five years ago, others, like lead, showed an increase. For example, the Gerber Chicken Rice Dinner product saw a 22% decrease in arsenic levels compared to 2018, but lead was detected this time. Similarly, the Happy Baby Organics Superfood Puffs, Purple Carrot & Blueberry product showed a decrease in cadmium and arsenic levels but had a 60% increase in lead levels.
Rice, sweet potatoes, and carrots were found to be the most at-risk ingredients in baby foods. Snacks, often made with rice, designed to aid teething in newborns also showed concerning levels of cadmium, lead, and arsenic.
The high contamination levels in rice and sweet potatoes can be attributed to the soil in which they are grown. Lead and other substances are naturally present in the earth’s crust, but their levels tend to be highest near highways or other locations with industrial or agricultural operations. Vegetables like sweet potatoes and carrots tend to absorb these heavy metals as they grow. As for rice, the most frequent contamination is from arsenic and cadmium in the cultivation land and irrigation water.
Prolonged exposure to heavy metals can have multiple negative health effects, including kidney and bone problems, neurobehavioral and developmental disorders, and even lung cancer.
The findings of this test call for urgent action to address the issue of heavy metals in baby food and snacks. Further regulations and stricter monitoring of these products are necessary to ensure the safety and health of our little ones.
Source: Consumer Reports