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A new study by the House Committee on Economic and Consumer Policy has found that the high levels of toxic metals in various organic baby foods and baby food products are manufactured by companies such as Nurture Inc., Hain Celestial Group Inc., Beech-Nut Nutrition, Gerber, Walmart, which Nestle owned. , Sprout Organic Foods, and Campbell.
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According to the subcommittee’s findings released on Thursday, the varieties of baby food examined by the panel contain ‘dangerously high levels’ of arsenic, lead, cadmium and mercury.
The report says that internal standards of the company ‘allow dangerously high levels of toxic heavy metals, and documents show that manufacturers often sell food that exceeds those levels.’
In addition, congressional investigators called on U.S. regulators to determine the maximum levels of toxic heavy metals allowed in baby food and to require producers to test final products for heavy metals, not just ingredients.
Exposure to toxic heavy metals can endanger a baby’s neurological development and brain function in the long run.
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The subcommittee noted that Nurture, Beech-Nut, Gerber and Hain all collaborated on the investigation, which found toxic heavy metal levels in their products that were ‘many times higher than what is allowed under the existing regulations for other products’.
Meanwhile, investigators claim Walmart, Sprout Organic Foods and Campbell refuse to cooperate.
“The subcommittee is very concerned that their lack of cooperation could hide the presence of even higher levels of toxic heavy metals in their baby food products, compared to their competitors’ products,” the subcommittee wrote.
However, the independent testing of Walmart, Sprout Organic Foods and Campbell’s baby food confirmed that the products’ products contained “with respect to the levels of toxic heavy metals”.
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The study found that Nurture contains baby food containing as much as 180 parts per billion (ppb) of inorganic arsenic, 641 ppb of lead and 10 ppb of mercury. More than 25% of the products tested before sale contain more than 100 ppb inorganic arsenic, and the company’s tests show that the typical baby food product it sold contains 60 ppb inorganic arsenic. Nearly 20% of the final baby food products tested by Nurture contain more than 10 ppb of lead.
According to the report, Hain sold finished baby food products with as much as 129 ppb of inorganic arsenic. Hain’s ingredients were tested to 309 ppb arsenic and 352 ppb lead, with at least 88 ingredients testing more than 20 ppb lead and six more than 200 ppb lead.
The ingredients of Hain also tested more than 20 ppb cadmium, while some tested up to 260 ppb cadmium. The report also noted that in August 2019, Hain made a secret offer to federal regulators, revealing that in 100% of Hain’s tested baby foods, inorganic arsenic levels were between 28 and 93 percent higher in the final baby foods than which the company estimated based on the testing of individual ingredients.
In addition, the investigation found that ingredients from Beech-Nut tested as high as 913.4 ppb arsenic, and that the company regularly uses arsenic additives that have tested more than 300 ppb arsenic to address product characteristics such as ‘crumb softness’. The ingredients also contain as much as 886.9 ppb lead, with 483 ingredients containing more than 5 ppb lead, 89 containing more than 15 ppb lead, and 57 containing more than 20 ppb lead. 105 ingredients were also used that tested more than 20 ppb cadmium, some of which tested up to 344.55 ppb cadmium.
Gerber was also found to use ingredients with high arsenic, including 67 sessions of rice flour that tested more than 90 ppb of inorganic arsenic. The company also used ingredients that tested up to 48 ppb lead, and used many ingredients that contained more than 20 ppb lead. About 75 percent of Gerber’s roots contain cadmium of more than 5 ppb, some of which contain up to 87 ppb of cadmium.
The investigation noted that Hain and Beech-Nut do not test mercury in baby food, while Gerber rarely tests on mercury.
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Hain Celestial, number 4 on the baby food market. A company that makes Earth’s Best said in a statement that it was “disappointed that the subcommittee report examined outdated data and did not reflect our current practice” and that the report “inaccurately marked a meeting with the FDA.” ‘
“Like any food producer, we meet with regulatory and supervisory agencies to refine and update our policies and procedures to ensure the safety of our products. As science evolves, so must our standards and practices, so we have “The FDA met last year to discuss how to better refine those standards and practices,” the company continued. “After the meeting, we took several steps to reduce the levels of heavy metals in our final products – including no longer using brown rice in our rice-based products, changing other ingredients and additional ‘testing the final product before shipping.’ has done with the FDA what the regulatory process is supposed to be: working together to make improvements that benefit the consumer. ‘
Hain added that its internal standards and testing procedures’ ensure that Earth’s best products meet or exceed current federal guidelines’, and that it ‘continuously provides support for the reduction of naturally occurring heavy metals from our food supply and that it is ready is to assist the subcommittee’s efforts to do so. purpose. “
Representatives of Gerber, Nurture Inc., and Beech-Nut Nutrition did not immediately return FOX Business’ request for comment.
| Ticker | Safety | Last | Alter | Alter% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WMT | WALMART INC. | 142.54 | +1.35 | + 0.96% |
A Walmart spokesman dismissed allegations that the company had refused to cooperate and FOX Business said in a statement that it had provided information to the subcommittee almost a year ago and “invited more dialogue on this important issue” , but never received any further inquiries. ‘
“Any product testing will be managed by our suppliers, which is why we have described the certification requirements for our private label manufacturers and explained that our private label baby food manufacturers must comply with all applicable laws and regulations, including those imposed by the US Food and Drug Administration. Drug administration, “the spokesman added.” In addition, our private label suppliers must meet our own specifications for final products, which for baby and small foods means that levels must meet or fall below the limits set by the FDA. “
According to the retailer, a report by Healthy Babies Bright Futures in October 2019 – an alliance of non-profit organizations, scientists and donors seeking to reduce babies’ exposure to toxic chemicals – called “What’s in My Baby’s Food”, seven Walmart private labels tested. products that have been determined to be metal tested within FDA guidelines.
| Ticker | Safety | Last | Alter | Alter% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CPB | CAMPBELL SOP CO. | 46.93 | -0.19 | -0.40% |
The Campbell Soup Company also backed down in a statement on its website, pointing out that it “responded quickly” to subcommittee questions and “never requested anything from us.”
“We are surprised that the committee would suggest that Campbell was less than full partners in this mission. We welcomed the opportunity to work with the committee in 2019 – and will continue to do so,” the statement said. “We want to assure our consumers, the committee and all other stakeholders that our products are safe.”
Campbell blamed the “unfortunate lack of a current FDA standard” for heavy metals in baby food and noted in a response to the FDA that tests show that every product is “well within the levels set by independent authorities” deemed acceptable. ” The company also noted that heavy metals occur in the area, including soil and water.
“Whether you grow your own products in your backyard, buy fresh produce from a farmers market or buy a product from your favorite retailer, these substances will be present in the food to a certain extent”, the statement concludes. “Campbell is committed to reducing environmental pollution, including heavy metals, in our products, and we will work with anyone to set federal standards to ensure that babies get the food they need in their early years to to provide healthy growth. “
A spokesman for Sprout Organic did not immediately return FOX Business’s request for comment.
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Investigators have also been very critical of the Trump administration, claiming that officials “ignored” Hain’s presentation and that the former president’s FDA took “no new action” to address the issue.
“To this day, baby foods that contain toxic heavy metals carry no label or warning to parents,” said the researchers. “Manufacturers are free to test only ingredients, or to test nothing for the vast majority of baby foods. “
According to the report, the FDA has finalized only one metal standard for one narrow category of baby food, which sets an inorganic arsenic standard of 100 ppb for rice grains for babies. However, the subcommittee noted that the standard was “far too high to protect against the neurological effects on children.”
“We recognize that there is more work to be done, but the FDA reiterates its strong commitment to continue to reduce consumer exposure to toxic elements and other contaminants of food,” the FDA said in a statement to Reuters on Thursday. said.