A new bill, the Baby Food Safety Act of 2024, has been introduced in the US

 

A new bill, the Baby Food Safety Act of 2024, has been introduced in the US Congress to limit the amount of harmful heavy metals found in baby food. The bill aims to strengthen regulation and enforcement by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to ensure the safety of baby food products.

Heavy metals such as lead, arsenic, cadmium, and mercury can be toxic to everyone, but exposure is especially dangerous for babies and toddlers. These neurotoxins can permanently damage developing brains, potentially causing long-term intellectual and behavioral problems.

Recent reports have highlighted concerning levels of contaminants in baby food products. A 2019 report found that 95% of baby foods from major manufacturers contained lead, and a quarter of the foods contained all four heavy metals. In 2021, an investigation found levels of heavy metals in baby food that were far above the limits set for bottled water.

The FDA has set limits for heavy metals in only two baby foods: infant rice cereal and juice. However, the standard set for rice cereal in 2020 was 10 times higher than the standard set for bottled water. The agency has also released draft guidance that would limit the amount of lead allowable in many popular baby foods, but it has not formally set any additional limits.

The Baby Food Safety Act of 2024 would direct the FDA to develop maximum allowable limits for toxic heavy metals found in baby food more broadly. It would set standards for testing of the final food products and allow the FDA to monitor these standards through access to the records of food suppliers and manufacturers. The bill would also bolster the FDA's authority to enforce the limits it sets, allowing the agency to mandate that companies recall food products that don't meet standards.

The bill's sponsors, including Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minnesota), say that parents deserve peace of mind knowing that the food they purchase for their babies and toddlers is safe. The bill has received support from advocacy groups such as Healthy Babies Bright Futures and the Environmental Working Group.

The FDA has also requested more authority to oversee food manufacturers, similar to how it oversees drug manufacturers. The agency's Commissioner, Dr. Robert Califf, has asked Congress for more authority to require that manufacturers report contamination and conduct more frequent monitoring of facilities.

The primary way that toxic metals get into food is through the soil that the foods are grown in. However, experts say that it is easy to avoid toxic metals by choosing where to plant. Setting limits on heavy metals in food has also been shown to be effective, with arsenic levels in infant cereal being cut in half after the FDA issued recommended limits.

Advocates say that government action to protect babies from toxic heavy metals in their food is long overdue. The FDA's Closer to Zero Initiative, launched in 2021, aims to reduce childhood exposure to lead, arsenic, cadmium, and mercury in foods, but more substantial regulation is needed to ensure the safety of baby food products.