Toxic Heavy Metals Found in Some Baby Food, Congressional Report Says
A congressional investigation found high levels of toxic metals in several top baby food brands and called on federal regulators to set stricter standards on the food manufacturers.
Gerber, Beech-Nut,
Walmart Inc.’s
WMT 1.28%
store brand and several organic lines of baby foods contained “dangerously high levels” of arsenic, lead, cadmium and mercury, according to a report by the House Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy issued Thursday. Consumer advocacy groups have reached similar conclusions in recent years.
These heavy metals naturally occur in soil and water. Baby food makers say that their products contain these metals at levels that are safe and that they are already working at reducing their presence by looking for new suppliers and cultivation methods.
The Democratic majority of the subcommittee says the Food and Drug Administration, which regulates food safety, should mandate maximum levels of these metals for baby food. Exposure to heavy metals
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