The FDA has been slow to respond to the growing concern about unregulated heavy metals in baby food, despite a decade-long investigation by the 7News I-Team that has exposed the dark side of the baby food industry.
For years, the industry has been plagued by the presence of neurotoxic heavy metals such as arsenic, lead, cadmium, and mercury in its products, which have been linked to a range of serious health problems, including cancer and neurological damage.
The issue has been widely reported on, with investigations and reports from various government agencies and media outlets, including the House Oversight Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy, which found that many baby food manufacturers were knowingly selling products with high levels of these metals.
The FDA’s Response
The FDA has been criticized for its slow response to the issue, despite a petition filed by a coalition of state attorneys general in 2022, which called for the agency to establish interim limits for inorganic arsenic, lead, cadmium, and mercury in baby food and to require manufacturers to test their products for these metals.
At the time of the 2022 letter, D.C. and Arizona had different attorneys general, who were not part of the original petition. A spokesperson from the Arizona Attorney General’s office told us this letter is a way for Schwalb and Mayes to publicly show their support for the action that began three years ago, as well as urge the FDA to create limits for heavy metals and require finished product testing to guarantee safety for infants.
Recent Developments
- The FDA delivered a warning letter to Wanabana, the company responsible for a mass acute lead poisoning from cinnamon in applesauce.
- The FDA issued a target a nationwide recall of one of its baby food products because of elevated lead levels this spring.
- Dozens of attorneys general have been calling for much more than just voluntary guidelines for lead, including finished product testing and the regulation of arsenic and cadmium, which remains unchecked.
Expert Opinion
Dr. Philip Landrigan, a leading pediatrician and advocate for children’s health, has been a vocal critic of the FDA’s response to the issue.
“As a pediatrician, I worry about the continuing possibility that cadmium and arsenic can be in baby food. Arsenic is a particular concern. Arsenic is a known cause of cancer, causes cancer in multiple organs in the human body and exposure in early childhood is particularly dangerous. And I really think that the FDA needs to move expeditiously to get arsenic out of baby food, arsenic and young children simply do not get along,” said Dr. Landrigan.