Food Safety and Your Infant: Breaking Down the Latest Government Report
Many of you may be aware of a recent report released by the US House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Reform. Below is a summarization of the report. The full report can be found here.
The report states that “on November 6, 2019, following reports alleging high levels of toxic heavy metals in baby foods, the Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy requested internal documents and test results from seven of the largest manufacturers of baby food in the United States, including both makers of organic and conventional products:
Nurture, Inc. (Nurture), which sells Happy Family Organics, including baby food products under the brand name HappyBABY
Beech-Nut Nutrition Company (Beech-Nut)
Hain Celestial Group, Inc. (Hain), which sells baby food products under the brand name Earth’s Best Organic
Gerber
Campbell Soup Company (Campbell), which sells baby food products under the brand name Plum Organics
Walmart Inc. (Walmart), which sells baby food products through its private brand Parent’s Choice
Sprout Foods, Inc. (Sprout Organic Foods)
The report further notes that while four companies were responsive to requests for information, “Walmart, Campbell, and Sprout Organic Foods refused to cooperate with the Subcommittee’s investigation.”
I am not sure why they did not open their documents to the US Government for this report. I am also disappointed that they did not cooperate to help all of us understand the magnitude of this problem.
The report found levels of Mercury, inorganic Arsenic, Cadmium and Lead that exceeded limits set by both the EPA and FDA for maximum concentrations in the foods tested and, in many cases, exceeded even the manufacturers’ own internal standards. Organic products fared no better or worse than those not labeled Organic. Gerber products had the smallest amount of all of the metals tested for.
But this is not new information. Believe it or not, other agencies have found similar findings in previous studies over the past many years. Consumer Reports (2018), Healthy Babies Bright Futures (2019) and the Environmental Defense Fund (2017-2019) have all published reports on this problem. This is yet another study confirming other previous published data. In addition, these metals are present naturally in the environment, in the soil and air, and are difficult to avoid. The plants are grown on this earth and will pick up these substances from the soil and air. And as humans we have ingested these over our entire existence on Earth. And it is clear that this is purely an an environmental problem with the soil, not a processing problem with the companies or their actions.
What Does This Mean for Your Infant?
Let us put this in perspective. In my practice of 35 years, I have never seen a patient with toxicity from any of the above metals. I have tested some (but not all) patients, either at the parents’ request or because of something in the patients’ history that prompted this. We are not seeing a “pandemic” of poisoning, low IQ scores or symptoms suggestive of poisoning. On the other hand, we really need to get a handle on this, and it will be up to the corporations who make the products and the government to get this under better control. Although the report has many excellent suggestions, it remains to be seen if or when they will be implemented.
In the meantime, I would encourage you to continue to feed your kid as you are now with a few adjustments.
Either eliminate all rice products (arsenic) or reduce to once a week.
Avoid fruit juices, as they could contain high levels of arsenic or lead. Water or milk are better, healthier choices, especially in a child’s first year.
Consider reading the report as there are some excellent graphs illustrating the problems with certain foods, such as cinnamon and other spices.
Consider buying Gerber products at this time, as the studies showed their products to be the safest.
If you make your own baby foods, please wash and peel fruits and vegetables thoroughly to reduce contamination.
Serve your child a variety of healthy fruits, vegetables and grains. Variety is key in both ensuring your child is getting a wide range of vitamins and nutrients, and they are not getting too much of any heavy metals that may be present.
I continue to believe that the benefits of eating fresh fruits and vegetables far outweigh the potential risks of these contaminants. I encourage you to keep feeding your kids a healthy variety of foods, and we hope those corporations who produce these products and the US Government will take the proper steps to keep your kids’ foods even safer.
