The US Congress And The FDA Are At Odds Over Baby Food Heavy Metal Regulation

The US Food and Drug Administration seems content with its efforts to monitor toxic heavy metals in certain brands of baby food

Monday, January 3, 2022 - The consumer health watchdog agency told readers that they had been informed of the findings of the US House of Representatives Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy. The committee report titled, "Baby Foods Are Tainted with Dangerous Levels of Arsenic, Lead, Cadmium, and Mercury", cited dangerously high levels of toxic heavy metals in several popular brands of baby food and recommended that the FDA take action. Parents of children who have suffered from baby food side effects such as autism, ADHD, or another, should speak with a baby food attorney, and consider filing a baby food heavy metal lawsuit. The house recommended that the FDA tighten up the limits of toxic heavy metals that are allowable in the finished baby food product, and levels need to be on the product's packaging. "The Subcommittee stated that FDA should require baby food manufacturers to test their finished products for toxic heavy metals and require any toxic heavy metals be reported on food labeling. It also stated that FDA should set maximum levels of toxic heavy metals allowed in baby foods," according to Food Safetytech.com.

The FDA response was underwhelming in that the agency stated that it will continue to do what they have done in the past to ensure that heavy metals do not pose a risk to children's food without taking special action. The FDA told reporters, "Consumers should know that FDA scientists routinely monitor levels of toxic elements in baby foods, along with other foods consumed in the country's diet, through the Total Diet Study." The US Congress, however, was trying to say to the FDA that their efforts are falling short and that the current level of diligence is unacceptable. The FDA allows each company in the baby food industry to monitor heavy metals in baby food and relies on what they are told about the heavy metal levels that are found. "Internal company standards permit dangerously high levels of toxic heavy metals, and documents revealed that the manufacturers have often sold foods that exceeded those levels," Congress said. Congress said they were gravely concerned by Walmart, Sprout Organic Foods, and Campbell failing to even show up at the hearings and that the levels of heavy metals that were found in those company's products were indefensible. Perhaps most damning about the FDA's looking the other way when it comes to baby food safety, Congress wrote that there are no heavy metal warnings on baby food and that the vast majority of companies only test their raw ingredients or do not heavy metal testing at all. Congress recommends that the FDA take concrete and immediate action to ensure heavy metal baby food safety by insisting companies test their finished products for heavy metals, report heavy metal levels on the product's packaging, phase out ingredients that are high in heavy metals, set maximum heavy metal levels, and to advise parents not to buy baby food that is high in heavy metal and to read the entire congressional report at https://oversight.house.gov/sites/democrats.oversight.house.gov/files/2021-02-04%20ECP%20Baby%20Food%20Staff%20Report.pdf.

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Lawyers for Baby Food Heavy Metals Lawsuits

We will represent all persons involved in a toxic baby food lawsuit on a contingency basis, meaning there are never any legal fees unless we win compensation in your case. Anyone whose child was diagnosed with autism, ADHD, or another neurological disorder after eating contaminated baby food is eligible to receive a free, no-obligation case review from our attorneys. Simply contact our firm through the online contact form or the chat feature and one of our baby food lawyers will contact you promptly to discuss your case.