FDA proposes new levels for lead in baby food, but critics say more action is needed

The allowable levels of lead in certain baby and toddler foods should be set at 20 parts per billion or less, according to new draft guidance from the FDA.

 

“For babies and young children who eat the foods covered in today’s draft guidance, the FDA estimates that these action levels could result in as much as a 24-27% reduction in exposure to lead from these foods,” FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf said.

 

Foods covered by the proposal – which is now up for public comment – include processed baby foods sold in boxes, jars, pouches and tubs for babies and children younger than 2, the agency said.

 

Lead, arsenic, cadmium and mercury are in the World Health Organization’s top 10 chemicals of concern for infants and children.

 

As natural elements, they are in the soil in which crops are grown and thus can’t be avoided. Some crop fields and regions, however, contain more toxic levels than others, partly due to the overuse of metal-containing pesticides and ongoing industrial pollution.