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A new investigation by the House Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy has found high levels of toxic metals in several organic and retail brand baby foods manufactured by companies such as Nurture Inc, Hain Celestial Group Inc, Beech-Nut Nutrition, Nestle-owned Gerber , Walmart, Sprout Organic Foods, and Campbell.
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According to the subcommittee findings released Thursday, the types of baby foods investigated by the panel contained “dangerously high levels” of arsenic, lead, cadmium and mercury.
The report said internal company standards “allow for dangerously high levels of toxic heavy metals, and documents showed that manufacturers have often sold foods that exceed those levels.”
In addition, congressional researchers called on US regulators to set maximum levels of toxic heavy metals in baby food and to require manufacturers to test finished products for heavy metals, not just ingredients.
Exposure to toxic heavy metals can compromise a baby’s neurological development and long-term brain function.
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The subcommittee noted that Nurture, Beech-Nut, Gerber and Hain all cooperated in the study, with the levels of toxic heavy metals in their products “multiples higher than allowed under existing regulations for other products.”
Meanwhile, researchers claimed that Walmart, Sprout Organic Foods and Campbell declined to cooperate.
“The subcommittee is very concerned that their lack of cooperation could obscure the presence of even higher levels of toxic heavy metals in their baby food products compared to those of their competitors,” the subcommittee wrote.
However, independent tests from Walmart, Sprout Organic Foods, and Campbell’s Baby Food confirmed that the companies’ products contain “concerning levels of toxic heavy metals.”
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The study found that Nurture sold baby food containing as much as 180 parts per billion (ppb) inorganic arsenic, 641 ppb lead, and 10 ppb mercury. More than 25% of the products that Nurture tested before sale contained more than 100 ppb inorganic arsenic, and the company’s tests show that the typical baby food product it sold contained 60 ppb inorganic arsenic. Nearly 20% of the finished baby food products Nurture tested contained more than 10 ppb of lead.
According to the report, Hain sold finished baby food products containing as much as 129 ppb inorganic arsenic. Hain’s ingredients tested as high as 309 ppb arsenic and 352 ppb lead, with at least 88 ingredients testing more than 20 ppb lead and six testing more than 200 ppb lead.
Hain’s ingredients also tested over 20 ppb of cadmium with some tests up to 260 ppb of cadmium. The report also noted that in August 2019, Hain gave a secret presentation to federal regulators, revealing that in 100% of Hain baby foods tested, inorganic arsenic levels were anywhere from 28 to 93 percent higher in finished baby foods than the company estimated . based on individual ingredient testing.
In addition, the investigation found that Beech-Nut ingredients tested up to 913.4 ppb arsenic and that the company routinely used high arsenic additives testing more than 300 ppb arsenic to address product features such as “crumb softness”. The ingredients also contain a whopping 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. It also used 105 ingredients testing more than 20 ppb of cadmium, with some testing up to 344.55 ppb of cadmium.
Gerber was also found to use high-arsenic ingredients, including 67 batches of rice flour that tested more than 90 ppb inorganic arsenic. The company also used ingredients that tested up to 48 ppb of lead, and used many ingredients that contained more than 20 ppb of lead. About 75 percent of Gerber’s carrots contained cadmium greater than 5 ppb, and some contained up to 87 ppb of cadmium.
The study found that Hain and Beech-Nut do not test for mercury in baby food, while Gerber rarely tests for mercury.
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Hain Celestial, the number 4 in the baby food market. company that makes Earth’s Best said in a statement that it was “disappointed that the Subcommittee report examined outdated data and does not reflect our current practices” and that the report “inaccurately characterizes a meeting with the FDA.”
“Like any food manufacturer, we meet with regulatory and supervisory authorities to refine and update our policies and procedures to ensure the safety of our products. As science evolves, our standards and practices must also evolve, which is why we have the last time met with the FDA for years to discuss how to better fine-tune those standards and practices, ”the company continued. “After the meeting, we took several steps to reduce the heavy metal content in our finished products – including discontinuing brown rice in our primarily rice-based products, changing other ingredients, and implementing additional tests the finished product before shipping. with the FDA did what the regulatory process is supposed to do: jointly drive improvements that benefit consumers. “
Hain added that its internal standards and testing procedures “ensure that Earth’s Best products meet or exceed current federal guidelines” and that it “has consistently supported efforts to reduce naturally occurring heavy metals from our food supply and done. stands to support the Subcommittee’s efforts to this end.
Representatives from Gerber, Nurture Inc. and Beech-Nut Nutrition did not immediately respond to FOX Business’s request for comment.
| Ticker | Safety | Last | Change | Change% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WMT | WALMART INC. | 142.54 | +1.35 | + 0.96% |
A spokesperson for Walmart opposed allegations that the company refused to cooperate, telling FOX Business in a statement that it had provided information to the subcommittee nearly a year ago and “invited more dialogue on this important issue, but never asked for additional questions. receive”.
“Each product test would be administered by our suppliers, so we have outlined 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 of the US Food and Drug Administration, the spokesman added. “In addition, our private label suppliers must meet our own internal finished product specifications, which means baby and toddler formula levels must meet or fall below the limits set by the FDA.”
According to the retailer, an October 2019 report from Healthy Babies Bright Futures – an alliance of nonprofits, scientists and donors seeking to reduce babies’ exposure to toxic chemicals – called ‘What’s in my baby’s food’ tested seven Walmart private label products of which has been determined to have metals tested within the guidelines of the FDA.
| Ticker | Safety | Last | Change | Change% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CPB | CAMPBELL SOUP CO. | 46.93 | -0.19 | -0.40% |
Also pushing back in a statement on its website is the Campbell Soup Company, which noted that it was “quick to respond” to the subcommittee’s questions and “never refused anything asked of us.”
“We are surprised that the committee would suggest that Campbell was not full partners in this mission. We welcomed the opportunity to work with the committee in 2019 – and we do so today,” the statement added. “We want to assure our consumers, the Committee and all other interested stakeholders that our products are safe.”
Campbell’s blamed the “unfortunate lack of a current FDA standard” for heavy metals in baby food and noted in a response to the FDA that the tests showed that each product was “well within the levels accepted by independent authorities. deemed “. The company also noted that the heavy metals are present in the environment, including soil and water.
“Whether you grow your own produce in your backyard, buy fresh produce from a farmers market, or buy a product from your favorite store, these substances will be present in the food to some degree,” the statement concluded. “Campbell is committed to minimizing environmental contaminants, including heavy metals, in our products, and we will work with everyone to set federal standards to ensure that babies are getting the food they need to run a support healthy growth in their early years. “
A Sprout Organic spokesperson did not immediately respond to FOX Business’s request for comment.
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Investigators were also very critical of the Trump administration, claiming that officials “ignored” Hain’s presentation and that the former president’s FDA was “not taking new action” to address the problem.
“To this day, baby foods containing toxic heavy metals do not carry a label or warning to parents,” said researchers. “Manufacturers are free to test ingredients only or, for the vast majority of baby foods, not test at all.”
According to the report, the FDA has set only one metal standard for one narrow category of baby food, a 100 ppb standard for inorganic arsenic for baby rice cereal. However, the subcommittee noted that the standard is “far too high to provide protection 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 toxins and other contaminants from food,” the FDA told Reuters on Thursday.