![]() ![]() The human body needs small amounts of certain heavy metals, such as iron and zinc, to function properly. What’s more, there are important steps parents can take right now to reduce their child’s health risks. Our testing did have some encouraging findings for parents: It showed that 16 of the products had less concerning levels of the heavy metals, suggesting that all baby food manufacturers should be able to achieve similar results. And whether problems develop depends on a host of factors, including genetics and exposure to other sources of heavy metals, such as from lead paint or contaminated water. He notes that consuming these foods doesn’t guarantee that a child will develop health problems, but that it may simply increase that risk. While those results are worrisome, parents who have been feeding these foods to their children don’t need to panic, says James Dickerson, Ph.D., chief scientific officer at Consumer Reports. Organic foods were as likely to contain heavy metals as conventional foods.Snacks and products containing rice and/or sweet potatoes were particularly likely to have high levels of heavy metals.Fifteen of the foods would pose potential health risks to a child regularly eating just one serving or less per day.About two-thirds (68 percent) had worrisome levels of at least one heavy metal.Every product had measurable levels of at least one of these heavy metals: cadmium, inorganic arsenic, or lead.And annual sales of baby food now top $53 billion and are projected to reach more than $76 billion by 2021, according to Zion Market Research. More than 90 percent of parents with children 3 and under turn to these foods at least occasionally, a new Consumer Reports national survey of more than 3,000 people found. ![]() That’s why CR’s food safety team analyzed 50 nationally distributed packaged foods made for babies and toddlers, checking for cadmium, lead, mercury, and inorganic arsenic, the type most harmful to health.Ĭhildren in the U.S. “They also absorb more of the heavy metals that get into their bodies than adults do.” Rogers, Ph.D., director of food safety research and testing at Consumer Reports. “Babies and toddlers are particularly vulnerable due to their smaller size and developing brains and organ systems,” says James E. One of the biggest worries: cognitive development in very young children. Over time, exposure to heavy metals can harm the health of adults and children. This includes foods made just for babies and toddlers, such as popular snacks, cereals, prepared entrées, and packaged fruits and vegetables. But you may not know why that’s a problem-or that these elements (and others, such as lead and cadmium), commonly known as “heavy metals,” are also in many other foods. You’ve probably heard that lead has been found in drinking water, that certain kinds of fish contain high levels of mercury, and that worrisome amounts of arsenic have been found in rice. ![]()
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