Making Baby Foods Safer (2)

 

Yesterday on The PediaBlog, we learned that for at least the past 20 years, study after study has found worrisome contamination of commercial baby food with neurotoxic heavy metals like lead, arsenic, cadmium, and mercury. Although many of the studies found levels below the Food and Drug Administration’s safety threshold, that’s not necessarily reassuring to pediatricians, who know their youngest patients could potentially be harmed by heavy metals and other environmental contaminants at extremely low levels.

The FDA has been addressing the problem of heavy metals in baby foods since 2021 by issuing guidelines that are designed “to reduce dietary exposure to contaminants to as low as possible, while maintaining access to nutritious foods.”

The agency’s work to date has resulted in significant progress in reducing exposure to environmental contaminants from foods and Closer to Zero builds on this progress. We have prioritized foods commonly eaten by babies and young children because their smaller body sizes and metabolism make them more vulnerable to the harmful effects of these contaminants.

 

In January, the FDA proposed new industry guidelines intended to reduce the amount of lead contained in commercial baby foods:

• 10 parts per billion (ppb) for fruits, vegetables (excluding single-ingredient root vegetables), mixtures (including grain and meat-based mixtures), yogurts, custards/puddings, and single-ingredient meats;

• 20 ppb for root vegetables (single ingredient); and

• 20 ppb for dry infant cereals.

 

The FDA believes compliance with the new action levels by baby food manufacturers will result in a 24-27% reduction in lead exposure from these foods.

Many of the foods we eat — including the ones processed for baby foods — inevitably contain some levels of lead, arsenic, cadmium, and mercury. In its Closer to Zero campaign, the FDA explains why:

These contaminants may occur in the environment naturally (as elements in the earth’s crust) and from human activities. Levels in the air, water, and soil used to grow crops, process foods, and raise animals can vary depending on natural geographical differences and proximity to past or current pollution.

The amount of arsenic, lead, cadmium, or mercury in certain foods depends on the amount in the environment and how much the plant or animal ‘takes up’ from the environment.

 

For this reason, while eating foods that are grown organically can reduce the risk of exposure to pesticides used by conventional farmers, it won’t affect exposure to heavy metals. And shunning store-bought baby foods in favor of homemade concoctions won’t help either, according to a Healthy Babies Bright Futures study from 2019:

We found no evidence to suggest that homemade baby food has lower heavy metal levels than store-bought brands. Heavy metal levels varied widely by food type, not by who made the food.

 

In addition to stronger industry rules and government regulations, there are steps parents can take to reduce the risk of exposure to lead and other toxic heavy metals in the environment, particularly in our food:

• Wash all produce in clean water before preparing them for serving. This can help remove heavy metals and pesticide residue from fruits and vegetables.

• Serve a variety of foods. A healthy diet consists of a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein — foods that are rich in essential nutrients that can lower exposure to toxic metals and other contaminants in food.

• Read food labels. Know what’s in your food and, when possible, where it is grown and processed.

• Avoid rice cereal and other rice-based foods. Rice absorbs more arsenic than other grains. Fortunately, there are excellent alternatives to rice (oats, barley, and mixed grains, for example) that can reduce exposure risk. The American Academy of Pediatrics has suggestions for when rice can’t be avoided:

Keep in mind that, among different types of rice, brown rice tends to have the highest arsenic levels. White basmati and sushi rice tends to have lower levels. When making rice from scratch, rinse it first. Cook it in extra water and then drain off the excess when’s it’s done.

 

• Breastfeed. Nursing exclusively for the first 4-to-6 months of life reduces the risk of exposure to heavy metals and toxic chemicals during a time when babies are most vulnerable to their effects.

• Avoid fruit juices. Grape, apple, pear, and mixed juices have been found to have concerning amounts of heavy metals, including lead and arsenic. Besides, juices are high in sugar and low in fiber. Serve whole fruits instead.

There are other things parents can do to protect the whole family from toxic metals:

• Choose your fish wisely. The AAP explains:

Some types of fish can be high in a form of mercury called methylmercury, and other metals. Of most concern are large, predatory fish that eat other fish and live longer, such as shark, orange roughy, swordfish, and albacore/white tuna. Eating too much contaminated fish can harm a child’s developing nervous system. But fish is also an excellent source of protein and other nutrients children need, and many are low in mercury. Look for better options like light tuna (solid or chunk), salmon, cod, whitefish, and pollock.

 

• Address lead hazards in the home. Don’t allow smoking or vaping indoors because secondhand and thirdhand smoke from both regular and e-cigarettes could result in exposure to cadmium and lead, as well as other well-known airborne toxic chemicals that make people sick. Kristin Walter, MD lists other potential sources of lead exposure in the spaces where we live, work, and play:

Lead exposure can occur by ingesting water, food, objects, or soil that is contaminated by lead or by breathing air that contains lead dust. Common sources of lead include chipped or peeling paint in older houses, water from lead pipes, and soil near highways, factories, or airports. Certain jobs (such as construction, battery manufacturing, and mining) and hobbies (such as repairing old homes or using pigments that contain lead) are linked to lead exposure. Some imported toys, jewelry, traditional medicines, spices, and candies may also contain lead.

 

Jennifer Tomazic spoke to a pediatrician who is pleased with the FDA’s efforts to make commercial baby foods safer:

“The baby food that we have right now is incredibly safe. It is very safe,” said Dr. Joe Aracri, System Chair of Pediatrics for AHN

“I think what is happening is the FDA is trying to make it even safer by lowering the allowable limits of lead in baby food” […]

“Children have a developing brain. So as the brain is developing, lead toxicity can lead to a delay in that brain development,” said Dr. Aracri.

 

Read “What is Lead Poisoning?” on JAMA Patient Page here.

Read more about healthy baby foods from Healthy Babies Bright Futures here, and about the FDA’s Closer to Zero campaign to reduce childhood exposure to contaminants in food here.

Tomorrow on The PediaBlog, we will review the Environmental Working Group’s annual “Dirty Dozen” and “Clean 15” lists.

 

source https://www.thepediablog.com/2023/03/21/making-baby-foods-safer-2/