For the first time, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued guidance on lead levels in processed baby foods such as canned fruits and vegetables.
The action announced Monday provides food manufacturers with only voluntary, not mandatory, restrictions in an effort to reduce exposure to toxic metals that can cause developmental and neurological problems in children. But the agency can take enforcement action if it finds food exceeds its recommended limits.
FDA guidelines limit lead levels to 10 parts per billion in fruits, most vegetables, grain and meat mixes, yogurt, custards and puddings, and single-ingredient meats for children younger than 2 years old. It sets limits of 20 parts per billion for single-ingredient root vegetables and dry infant cereals.
The directive covers packaged processed foods sold in jars, sachets, tubs or boxes. In contrast, the new restrictions do not include cereal snacks such as puffs and teething crackers, although some studies have shown that these products contain higher levels of lead. It also does not restrict other metals such as cadmium Found in baby food.
“Today's FDA action is a step forward that will help protect children,” said Thomas Galligan, a scientist at the Center for Science in the Public Interest. “However, the agency took too long to act and ignored important public input that could have strengthened these standards.”
Between October 2023 and April 2024, more than 560 children died after eating Lead contaminated apple cinnamon Purees, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The lead levels detected in these products were more than 2,000 times higher than the FDA's maximum allowable limit.
Exposure to lead in utero, infancy, and early childhood may cause harmful neurological effects such as learning and behavioral disorders and lowered IQ. In adults, chronic lead exposure is associated with renal dysfunction, hypertension, and neurocognitive effects.
contributed to this report.
