“Baby Food Safety Act of 2024” proposes stricter limits on hazardous metals in infant food to protect young children’s health

US legislators are preparing to present a bill on Thursday that aims to restrict the quantity of hazardous metals, such as lead, arsenic, cadmium, and mercury, found in infant food by increasing regulatory and enforcement measures undertaken by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The proposed legislation, titled the Baby Food Safety Act of 2024, would compel the FDA to establish maximal tolerable limits for toxic heavy metals commonly found in infant meals, as well as requirements for testing completed throughout the manufacturing process and increased regulatory control for the agency to ensure compliance. According to a related article, this initiative follows previous research indicating that excessive concentrations of hazardous metals have been discovered in foods marketed to infants and youngsters, with a 2019 study from advocacy group Healthy Babies Bright Futures revealing that 95% of baby foods produced by major manufacturers included lead, and almost one-quarter of the items had traces of all four heavy metals. Furthermore, the FDA has established restrictions for just two infant foods, rice cereal and juice, and the guideline for inorganic arsenic in rice cereal, which was adopted in 2020, was ten times higher than the restriction for bottled water. The FDA released a draft proposal in early 2021 to limit the amount of lead permitted in several common infant foods, but no formal limitations have yet been implemented. This proposed legislation comes as growing concern about lead and other hazardous metals in baby foods prompted the FDA to propose revamping its human food program earlier this year. “Parents want what’s best for their children, and they deserve peace of mind knowing the food they buy for their babies and toddlers is safe,” Senator Amy Klobuchar, a Democrat from Minnesota, said in a statement about the bill she supported. “This legislation will increase food safety standards and demand more thorough testing by producers to prevent heavy metals from poisoning our children.” It’s worth mentioning that, according to a December 2021 letter sent to FDA commissioner Dr. Robert Califf by a group of legislators consisting of Klobuchar and Democratic senators Tammy Duckworth of Illinois and Representatives Raja Krishnamoorthi of Illinois and Tony Cárdenas of California, “all food manufacturers have a legal obligation to significantly minimize or eliminate chemical hazards, including through preventive controls to reduce or eliminate the presence of lead in their products.” “In light of recent harm caused by certain cinnamon apple sauce and fruit puree goods, it is apparent that the agency must prioritize heavy metal action level efforts,” they continued. This new legislation builds on previous initiatives aimed at limiting toxic heavy metals in infant meals, which failed to gain sufficient support in December 2021 when hundreds of children across the country fell ill due to elevated lead and chromium levels in applesauce packets. “The primary source of hazardous metals in our food supply is soil,” says Scott Faber, senior vice president for government affairs at the Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit environmental and consumer advocacy organization. “When you cultivate a crop, whether it’s a sweet potato or rice, the plant absorbs the metals via its roots into the plant. That’s the terrible news.” But there’s also good news, according to Faber, since establishing limits works. After issuing suggested constraints, arsenic levels in infant cereal decreased by half, according to an analysis of data from the FDA’s Total Diet Study. “Government action to safeguard babies from the toxic heavy metals in their food is long overdue,” said Paige Whipple Glidden, Healthy Babies Bright Futures’ communications director, in an email. “Every day that goes by, roughly 10,000 more infants in the United States start eating solid food. The FDA must act quickly to shield the next generation of children.” The necessity for more comprehensive regulation is pressing, according to advocates.