Adulteration in Baby Food

A report by the government on toxic heavy metals in infant food revealed that many brands–including organic ones–include arsenic, mercury, cadmium, and lead in high concentrations which pose a serious risk for the development of children’s brains.

Parents across the country are outraged by the revelation that baby food products made by Gerber, Earth’s Best Organic, Beech-Nut, contain “dangerously high levels” of heavy metals that are toxic. People are filing baby food lawsuits against these manufacturers of heavy metal baby food. Even more disturbingly, the big baby food companies that make these brands knew that they were selling contaminated baby food to uninitiated parents, according to the report.

Which Baby Food Brands have Metals in their food?

The brands of baby food that are listed within the report in the 2021 Congressional report on food for babies are:

-The Nurture Happy Family Organics and HappyBABY

-Beech-Nut

-Hain Celestial Group – Earth’s Most Organic Organic

-Campbell Soup – Plum Organics

-Walmart – Parents Choice

-Sprout Foods Sprout Organic Food

-Gerber

Nurture, Beech-Nut Hain and Gerber adhered to the Congressional subcommittee’s demand for an inquiry regarding the safety and quality of infant food items. Walmart, Campbell, and Sprout Organic Foods refused to accept the subcommittee’s requests. In the document, this subcommittee “greatly worries about the possibility that their inaction could be hiding the existence of more harmful heavy metals on their childhood items as compared to what their competitors are offering.”

This isn’t the first time that some of these companies have been in the news because of contaminated baby food. In 2017 a non-profit group known as The Clean Label Project published data from infant formula and baby food studies that showed mercury, arsenic and lead in the products of big brands. In the year 2019 an inquiry by the Healthy Babies Bright Futures (HBBF) confirmed certain of the findings contained in the Clean Label Project baby food report.

Which products have toxic metals?

The baby food items that will be included in the 2021 report on food for babies include the most popular cereals, sweet potato puree, various juices and snack puffs. All of these are manufactured by brands that many parents consider to be trustworthy infant food companies.

Rice-based baby food has historically been a problem when it comes to testing for heavy metals, particularly when it comes to arsenic concentrations. In 2016 the U.S. FDA suggested a limit for arsenic levels in inorganic rice cereals to be 100ppb. The FDA just recently passed this law that is still ten times higher than the arsenic content allowed in water bottles.

Damage caused due to heavy metal baby food

The FDA as well as the World Health Organization have stated that heavy metals pose dangers to the health of humans, especially for infants and young children. The WHO report revealed that arsenic lead, cadmium, and mercury were among the top 10 substances of concern for health.

Many studies show heavy metal exposure to behavioural difficulties. This is particularly evident in infants and children whose brains are developing. Even in low doses the exposure of heavy metals may cause irreparable and serious damage to the development of the brain.

Exposure to toxic heavy metals can result in permanent reductions in IQ and a higher likelihood of criminal and antisocial behaviour in children. Exposure of infants to heavy metals can affect long-term neurodevelopment and brain function.

Summary

Baby food contains very high amounts of heavy metals, like lead and mercury. This can be deadly, leading to toxicity. The number of babies who are affected makes it a concern for public health. That is why the number of lawsuits against the producers are increasing on a regular basis. If you are one of those parents whose child had or has been suffering from such adulterated food then you should seek help from reputed baby food lawyers.