Five years after a similar investigation, Consumer Reports published a study that shows some of the most popular baby food brands still contain concerning levels of heavy metals.
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James Rogers, director of food safety research and testing for Consumer Reports, told KNX Afternoon News that while some products did better compared to their previous study, "there were definitely some products that did worse, especially looking at arsenic and lead levels."
So how do big brands like Earth's Best Organic, Organics Happy Baby, Beechnut Naturals, Gerber, and Baby Mum-Mum end up with such dangerous substances in their baby products?
Rogers said the soil and water used to grow some crops transfer arsenic and lead into the ingredients - most notably rice and sweet potatoes.
"So usually it's ingredient sourcing," Rogers said. He also mentioned contamination could occur during the manufacturing process, but believes the industry needs to be particularly careful about where they get their ingredients.
Although Rogers is aware that levels found in any one serving could be dismissed as 'meaningless,' he urges caution as long-term intake of heavy metals could increase the risk of various health threats and developmental concerns.
Rogers hopes by pointing out to these companies that they have not cleaned up their act over the last five years, manufacturers will take measures to better protect the children they feed.
How? By simply "pretesting the ingredients before they use them" and if they get a batch - discard it, get another batch, and test again.
You can read the whole study on the Consumer Reports website here.
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