Tell Congress to Protect Babies from High Levels of Heavy Metals in Baby Food!
We need Congress to urgently pass the Baby Food Safety Act of 2021 S.1019. Currently, there are NO limits for heavy metals in baby food.
Without regulations, recent reports show that private companies, BeechNut, HappyBABY, Earth's Best, and Gerber, trusted by parents across the country, have continued to sell baby food that they knew was contaminated at extraordinarily high levels by heavy metals. For example, some had levels as high as 913 ppb or arsenic and 886 ppb of lead. These are levels nearly or more than 100X higher than what the EPA allows in water.
In addition, Walmart, Sprout Organic Foods, and Campbell completely ignored our government’s request and refused to submit their in-house testing for levels of heavy metals in their baby food. No company should see themselves as above government safety regulations!
Our babies are especially vulnerable to the impact of toxic heavy metals. In fact, Phillipe Grandjean, MD, Harvard adjunct professor, stated in the acclaimed book “Only One Chance,” that infants developing blood-brain barriers are more susceptible to permeability by toxins. Also, because their liver is not fully developed, they absorb (and are less efficient at eliminating) 40-70% more lead than adults. Exposure to heavy metals has statistically significant associations with lower IQ scores in children. And the effects are not able to be remediated in humans. The author points out that symptoms of heavy metal poisoning only worsen over time. Decreased mental abilities lead to incapacitated adults that need increasing amounts of care and medical attention. These children who are being inadvertently poisoned by heavy metals from well-intentioned parents will likely experience learning, behavioral or health effects for the rest of their lives. The contribution they make to society may likely be diminished due to a lower IQ. In short, these baby food companies, who are not taking responsibility for their products’ safety, are harming America’s future.
The heavy metal contamination of baby food (and all food) is unacceptable and must stop. The regulation of spices used in baby food and all food (likely grown in other countries) needs to be addressed.
In the USA, crops grown in contaminated soil must be identified. The most widely used herbicide in the world, glyphosate, has been shown to contain heavy metals and its use must be discontinued in our food supply. Allowing water pollution of industrial chemicals and mining must also stop. Manufacturers simply must NOT use ingredients in their food products that contain dangerous levels of heavy metals. Period.
I am asking you to vote yes to pass the Baby Food Safety Act of 2021 immediately and continue to take action to make our food supply safe for everyone.
Thank you!
Tell Congress to Protect Babies from High Levels of Heavy Metals in Baby Food!
We need Congress to urgently pass the Baby Food Safety Act of 2021 S.1019. Currently, there are NO limits for heavy metals in baby food.
Without regulations, recent reports show that private companies, BeechNut, HappyBABY, Earth's Best, and Gerber, trusted by parents across the country, have continued to sell baby food that they knew was contaminated at extraordinarily high levels by heavy metals. For example, some had levels as high as 913 ppb or arsenic and 886 ppb of lead. These are levels nearly or more than 100X higher than what the EPA allows in water.
In addition, Walmart, Sprout Organic Foods, and Campbell completely ignored our government’s request and refused to submit their in-house testing for levels of heavy metals in their baby food. No company should see themselves as above government safety regulations!
Our babies are especially vulnerable to the impact of toxic heavy metals. In fact, Phillipe Grandjean, MD, Harvard adjunct professor, stated in the acclaimed book “Only One Chance,” that infants developing blood-brain barriers are more susceptible to permeability by toxins. Also, because their liver is not fully developed, they absorb (and are less efficient at eliminating) 40-70% more lead than adults. Exposure to heavy metals has statistically significant associations with lower IQ scores in children. And the effects are not able to be remediated in humans. The author points out that symptoms of heavy metal poisoning only worsen over time. Decreased mental abilities lead to incapacitated adults that need increasing amounts of care and medical attention. These children who are being inadvertently poisoned by heavy metals from well-intentioned parents will likely experience learning, behavioral or health effects for the rest of their lives. The contribution they make to society may likely be diminished due to a lower IQ. In short, these baby food companies, who are not taking responsibility for their products’ safety, are harming America’s future.
The heavy metal contamination of baby food (and all food) is unacceptable and must stop. The regulation of spices used in baby food and all food (likely grown in other countries) needs to be addressed.
In the USA, crops grown in contaminated soil must be identified. The most widely used herbicide in the world, glyphosate, has been shown to contain heavy metals and its use must be discontinued in our food supply. Allowing water pollution of industrial chemicals and mining must also stop. Manufacturers simply must NOT use ingredients in their food products that contain dangerous levels of heavy metals. Period.
I am asking you to vote yes to pass the Baby Food Safety Act of 2021 immediately and continue to take action to make our food supply safe for everyone.
Thank you!