FDA limits toxic lead in some baby foods

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Monday set maximum lead levels in baby foods such as packaged fruits and vegetables, yogurts and dry cereals, as part of an effort to reduce young children’s exposure to the toxic metal that causes problems. neurological and developmental.

The agency issued final guidance that it estimated could reduce lead exposure from processed baby foods by 20% to 30%. The limits are voluntary, not mandatory, for food manufacturers, but allow the FDA to take enforcement action if foods exceed the levels.

It’s part of the FDA’s ongoing effort to “reduce dietary exposure to contaminants, including lead, in foods to the lowest possible level over time, while maintaining access to nutritious foods,” the agency said in a statement. .

Consumer advocates, who have long sought limits on lead in children’s foods, welcomed the guidance first proposed two years ago but said it did not go far enough.

“Today’s actions by the FDA are a step forward and will help protect children,” said Thomas Galligan, a scientist at the Center for Science in the Public Interest. “However, the agency was too slow to act and ignored important public input that could have strengthened these standards.”

The new lead limits for children under 2 years old do not cover cereal-based snacks such as snacks and teething cookies, which some research shows contain higher levels of lead. And they do not limit other metals such as cadmium that have been detected in baby foods.

Brian Ronholm, director of food policy at Consumer Reports, called the limits “virtually meaningless because they are based more on the viability of the industry and not on what would best protect public health.”

A spokesperson for baby food maker Gerber said the company’s products comply with the limits.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there is no safe level of lead exposure for children. The metal causes “well-documented health effects,” including damage to the brain and nervous system and slower growth and development. However, lead occurs naturally in some foods and comes from contaminants in the air, water, and soil, which can make it impossible to completely remove it.

The FDA guidance sets a lead limit of 10 parts per billion for fruits, most vegetables, cereal-meat mixes, yogurts, custards and puddings, and single-ingredient meats. Sets a limit of 20 parts per billion for single-ingredient root vegetables and dry baby cereals. The guidance covers packaged processed foods sold in jars, bags, tubs or boxes.

The new guidance comes more than a year after lead-contaminated bags of applesauce and cinnamon sickened more than 560 children in the U.S. between October 2023 and April 2024, according to the CDC.

The lead levels detected in those products were more than 2,000 times higher than the FDA maximum. Officials emphasized that the agency does not need guidance to take action on foods that violate the law.



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