Toxins found in baby food

Reporter: Amy Oshier
Published: Updated:

Time to check your baby food.

An industry watchdog group repeatedly found high levels of heavy metals in most supermarket brands.

That’s leading to safety guidance from the FDA and also a new labeling system parents can use to check the baby foods they buy.

At fourteen months old, little Claire’s been spoonfed most of her life. Mom Megan Caruso is weaning her off baby food and is concerned about what her daughter is ingesting.

“I don’t think there’s a lot of options at all, any safe options that don’t have reoccurring lead,” Caruso said.

She’s right. The group Healthy Babies/Bright Futures conducted repeated tests of major supermarket brands, finding that 95% of baby food tested contained dangerous levels of toxins, including lead, arsenic, mercury and cadmium. Pediatric nurse practitioner Kathleen Tenrreiro told us that these can damage developing brains.

“Especially infants the first year of life, because their brain is rapidly growing and changing,” Tenrreiro said.

The way we view baby food is changing, too. Starting in January, food makers are rolling out QR codes on baby food labels, sampling batches of products and linking findings.

It’s a matter of transparency, giving parents a chance to see what’s in their baby’s food. It can be alarming. A government investigation found one manufacturer has 177 times the amount of lead that’s allowed in bottled water.

“It’s cruel. I mean, this is our next generation,” Caruso said.

It riles a lot of parents and health providers.

Heavy metals are found in soil. Scant amounts are considered safe.

“I think that you have to be a smart consumer when it comes to anything, and especially when it comes to the food supply,” Tenrreiro said.

Especially when it comes to growing healthy children.

Click here to review the information for yourself, along with tips to avoid exposure.

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