The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Monday introduced new voluntary guidelines to reduce toxic lead levels in popular baby foods, aiming to address concerns over the long-term effects of lead exposure on children.
Why It Matters
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there is no safe level of lead exposure for children. Even small amounts can cause developmental delays, nervous system damage and impaired growth. Lead occurs naturally in some foods and can also result from environmental pollutants, making its complete elimination a challenge.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), exposure to lead, which is a neurotoxin, can cause irreversible and life-long health effects in children. Lead exposure can also cause adverse effects in adults like increased risk of cardiovascular disease and may cause cancer.
What To Know
The FDA's new standards target processed baby foods such as jarred fruits, vegetables, yogurts and dry cereals. The agency estimates the changes could cut lead exposure from these foods by 20 percent to 30 percent.
The guidelines are part of the FDA's ongoing effort to "reduce dietary exposure to contaminants, including lead, in foods to as low as possible over time, while maintaining access to nutritious foods," the agency said in a statement.
Consumer advocates have hailed the measures as a step in the right direction, though some argue they fall short as the guidelines do not address all potential sources of lead exposure. For instance, popular grain-based snacks such as teething biscuits and puffs—shown in some studies to contain higher lead levels—remain unregulated under these rules. Other harmful metals, like cadmium, are also not covered.
The new FDA guidelines set a maximum lead level of 10 parts per billion for most fruits, vegetables, grain and meat mixtures, yogurts, custards and single-ingredient meats. For root vegetables and dry infant cereals, the limit is set at 20 parts per billion. The guidelines apply to processed baby foods sold in jars, pouches, tubs and boxes.
This announcement follows a lead contamination crisis more than a year ago when over 560 children in the U.S. fell ill after consuming lead-tainted apple cinnamon puree pouches. The lead levels in those products were reportedly more than 2,000 times the FDA's maximum allowable limit.
What Lead Research Has Found
In November, new research reports showed elevated levels of lead have been discovered in playgrounds in Houston, Texas. On average, lead levels were four times higher in these play areas than they are in Texas overall.
In addition, researchers at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, and Stanford University School of Medicine set in March out to study how much lead is contaminating the drinking water in Chicago to see how much it impacted children under the age of 6, and they found that an estimated 68 percent of this age group—or about 129,000 children—were exposed to the chemical this way.
What People Are Saying
Thomas Galligan, a scientist with the Center for Science in the Public Interest said in a statement: "FDA's actions today are a step forward and will help protect children. However, the agency took too long to act and ignored important public input that could have strengthened these standards."
Brian Ronholm, director of food policy for Consumer Reports, told The Associated Press that the limits are "virtually meaningless because they're based more on industry feasibility and not on what would best protect public health."
A spokesperson for baby food maker Gerber said the company's products meet the limits.
What Happens Next
While these guidelines are voluntary for food manufacturers, it empowers the FDA to enforce actions if products exceed the recommended limits as public officials have stressed that the agency doesn't need guidance to take action on foods that violate the law.
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press.
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