Since when were some amounts of lead allowed in baby food?

The Food and Drug Administration last week asked food manufacturers to significantly reduce the amount of lead in processed baby foods.

Although lead is toxic to everyone, children are especially susceptible to lead exposure because they are still growing. Elevated blood levels of lead can damage the brain and nervous system, slow physical and emotional development, and contribute to learning, behavior, hearing, and language problems.

Many Philadelphia families are well aware of the potential hazards of lead poisoning from old lead pipes and paint in the area’s pre-1970s housing stock.

But you may be wondering: Why is there lead in baby food?

“Don’t panic,” said Kim Kramer, a clinical dietitian at Nemours Children’s Health in Delaware. “I know it sounds scary.”

The FDA’s new guidelines are not in response to a spike in contamination, but are part of an ongoing effort to reduce the amount of heavy metals that have long been in food.

let’s start.

Why does baby food contain lead?

Fruits, vegetables and grains absorb lead from the soil in which they grow. Soil naturally contains some lead, but pollution from leaded gasoline, lead-based exterior paint, and industrial development are increasing lead levels in soil.

While it is impossible to eliminate all lead from food, new FDA guidelines require food manufacturers to eliminate lead wherever possible and ensure that their production processes do not contribute lead. .

What are the new FDA lead guidelines?

The FDA currently recommends limiting lead to 10 ppb in fruit, vegetable and meat packaging products such as bottles, pouches and tubes. Lead content in dry cereals must not exceed 20ppb.

The FDA estimates that these restrictions could reduce infant lead exposure by 24% to 27%.

There is no safe amount of lead, Kramer said, but under new FDA guidelines, baby food contains trace amounts. Think of it this way. Of his 1 billion molecules in an apple, 10 could be lead.

The new recommendations are part of Closer to Zero, an FDA initiative to reduce the amount of lead and other heavy metals in foods, especially those consumed by infants.

Is homemade baby food safe?

necessarily. A 2022 study by food safety group Health Babies Bright Futures found that homemade baby food is just as likely to contain heavy metals such as lead as store-bought baby food.

“Even if you buy organic food at the grocery store, you’ll face the same problem,” says Kate Bresnak, a clinical dietitian at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children in Philadelphia.

Again, this is because lead in food comes primarily from the soil and water used to grow crops.

How can I limit my child’s food exposure to lead?

Offer as many different foods as possible. Metal and toxin levels vary. That’s why Breznak and Kramer recommend rotating the foods children eat. please.

If you have concerns about potential lead exposure, consult your child’s pediatrician. A blood lead test is mandatory for children between her age 1 and her age 2 who are covered by Medicaid and is common among privately insured infants.

The CDC considers a blood lead level of 3.5 micrograms of lead per deciliter of blood (μg/dL). This is down from the long-standing norm of 5 μg/dL. The change is intended to more quickly identify children at risk of lead poisoning and improve sources of exposure.

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