As parents, what matters most to them is the safety of their kid. But the new report that has revealed to find noteworthy lead levels in 20% of baby food samples and is letting us question their safety. In the past, there have been reports of paint or paint chips containing lead and also contaminated water that can result in lead poisoning. The report is provided by the Environmental Defense Fund that analyzed federal information from last 11 years.
It is presented in the report that there were noticeable lead levels in 20% of 2164 baby food samples that they examined. The commonest offenders that carried lead were root vegetables, including carrots & sweet potatoes, apple & grape juices, and teething biscuits.
Results displayed:
- 89% baby grape juice samples included measurable lead levels, whereas 68% regular grape juice holds lead
- 47% teething biscuits samples include lead
- 67% samples of mixed fruit juice for babies
- 55% baby apple juice samples in comparison to 25% regular apple juice
- 45% of pear juice samples for babies
- 44% baby carrots samples in comparison to 14% regular carrots samples
- 86% of the sweet potato samples for babies
- 64% baby arrowroot cookies
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has allowed the lead levels to be 100 parts per billion for candy, whereas for fruit juices, it is 50 parts per billion. However, the brands were not revealed or included in the report whose samples were been tested. As per the report, the levels as such are not so frightening. Nevertheless, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention assert that there are no secure lead levels in a kid’s blood. Consumption of lead or lead poisoning can result in several issues related to behavior, development of cognitive abilities, attention span, speech & hearing development, cardiovascular system, and immune system.
Yet another report was presented by the Environmental Protection Agency, earlier this year, suggesting that over 5% of children consume more than 6 μg of lead each day. The FDA has recommended 6 μg as the utmost daily intake level in 1993.
Tom Neltner, the Chemicals Policy Director of Environmental Defense Fund, feels that in spite of the fact that FDA believes that lead enters food via the contaminated soil, however, food processing may also hold the lead in food. He also told that baby food is among the processed foods. Neltner informed that even if the lead levels in baby foods were comparatively low but when summing up all the foods that kids were eating, the total of consumed lead may be noteworthy.
So, everybody out there be a bit cautious about what your kids are eating.
