Is Baby Food Safe?
It seems that every few months I see a headline declaring the presence of heavy metals, such as inorganic arsenic, lead, and mercury, in commercially prepared baby foods. It doesn’t seem to matter whether the baby food is name brand, store brand, or organic. All types of pureed baby foods are implicated in the reports. This, of course, sends most parents into panic mode, worrying they are harming their infants by feeding them baby foods off of the shelves. In our office, we receive many phone calls from parents asking for advice on this topic, so I thought it was time to write about it here.
Do you need to worry?
Exposure of young, still-developing children to heavy metals is certainly a concern. Exposure to toxic levels of these metals can lead to developmental delays, lower IQ, and behavioral issues. Chronic exposure increases these risks. Minimizing the exposure of your baby to these metals where possible is very important.
However, heavy metals are found naturally in the environment and are also released into the environment from pollution. Because of their presence in the soil, they are impossible to completely avoid. Most of the heavy metal exposures in food occur through exposure of the food itself in the soil. Growing plants absorb the metals through the soil and water. Some absorb more than others – root vegetables, for instance, are more at risk of exposure than grains, fruits, and vegetables that grow above the soil. Fruit juices have also been found to have higher than expected levels of arsenic and lead. There is also some concern that the addition of vitamin, mineral, and spice mixes to baby foods is contributing to the problem, as there are currently no FDA regulations regarding testing of these ingredients.
Of note, screening for environmental lead exposure is part of recommended routine care of infants 9-12 months, as well as at age 2 years. There is not regular or recommended screening for other heavy metals.
How much is too much?
Unfortunately, despite years of research demonstrating continued detection of heavy metals in baby foods, there are no regulations from the FDA regarding how much is “too much.” Rather, the companies responsible for making the baby foods have been charged with reducing the levels as much as possible. The FDA does produce guidelines for acceptable limits of heavy metal contamination, but so far these have not been enforced.
Though levels of heavy metals in many baby foods have been found to be above recommended FDA levels, scientists and nutritionists are cautioning parents not to panic. The primary concern in heavy metal exposure lies in repeated, chronic exposures over time rather than occasional or low-level ingestion.
What can you do?
This is always the question – what can parents do to keep their infants and young children safe? In regards to reducing exposures to heavy metals through foods, here are a few things we recommend:
- Variety. This is a good nutritional recommendation in general – offer your baby a variety of fruits, vegetables, grains, and proteins. Too much of any food is not nutritionally beneficial, and in cases of concern for heavy metal exposure this may increase your risk depending on the particular food.
- Avoid or limit rice. Rice cereals have been reported as having higher levels of arsenic than other grains, which is why there has been a shift in recent years towards recommendations of oatmeal or barley cereals as “baby’s first food.” When feeding whole rice grains to your toddler, rinse it thoroughly before cooking and keep in mind that brown rice tends to absorb more inorganic arsenic than white rices.
- Limit amounts of root vegetables. Sweet potatoes and carrots are named specifically in the studies done on baby foods, but the increased risk of exposure is true of any food that is grown under the ground, as there is more consistent and prolonged exposure to the soil. These root vegetables still provide vital nutrients for growing infants, so do not eliminate them completely, but serve them in small portions alongside a variety of other foods.
- Read labels. Make sure you are not undermining your efforts at variety by reading ingredient labels carefully – often there will be combinations of vegetables listed in the ingredients that are not in the title of the food. Try to avoid foods with rice milk or brown rice syrup.
- Limit amounts of apple and grape juices. Consumption of fruit juices are not recommended under age 1 year anyway. Stick with breastmilk or formula, and water in older infants.
- Make your own baby food. However, it is important to remember you cannot fully eliminate the heavy metal exposure through foods even if you make your own. Food is still grown in the ground, where it absorbs the metals in the first place! You may be able to avoid any extra exposures that may be occurring through the vitamin or spice mixes that are added to commercial baby foods. There are many resources out there to help you safely make your own baby food if that is what you choose to do.
- “Organic” is not the answer. Baby food of all varieties, including those labeled as “organic” have been tested and found to have higher than recommended levels of heavy metals. If you choose organic foods for other reasons, that is fine, but do not choose them specifically to reduce the heavy metals exposure risk.
- Test the water. Consider having your home’s water source tested. This is particularly important if you have a well, but those with public water sources can also contact the local health department for testing resources and results.
Final thoughts
All parents strive to keep their children healthy. Exposure to heavy metals through baby food is certainly something to be aware of, but it is also important to keep in mind that the risk of harm comes from chronic exposure over time. There are steps that can be taken to reduce this risk if necessary, and the FDA has been called upon to increase industry standards – and make them enforceable. In all honesty, babies have to eat, and the food they eat is grown in the soil, so the risk will never be “zero.”
Resources
Governmental oversight report: https://oversight.house.gov/sites/democrats.oversight.house.gov/files/2021-02-04%20ECP%20Baby%20Food%20Staff%20Report.pdf
https://www.consumerreports.org/baby-food/baby-food-and-heavy-metals-advice-for-parents/
Making your own baby food: https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/feeding-nutrition/Pages/Starting-Solid-Foods.aspx
https://health.clevelandclinic.org/should-parents-be-worried-about-toxic-heavy-metals-in-baby-food/
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