Some Baby Food May Contain Toxic Metals, U.S. Reports; Testing found high levels of arsenic, lead and cadmium in some ingredients, congressional investigators said.

[galiraju]

Ingredients in many baby foods, including some organic fare, are contaminated with heavy metals like arsenic, lead and cadmium at levels that are far higher than those allowed in products like bottled water, congressional investigators said on Thursday.

Their report underscored the federal government’s persistently lax approach to overseeing the safety of baby food, some experts said, despite clear risks to infants and toddlers. Exposure to heavy metals in particular has been linked to behavioral impairments, brain damage and even death.

“This is an endemic problem that’s been swept under the rug and never addressed,” said Tracey Woodruff, director of the program on reproductive health and the environment at the University of California, San Francisco, who was not involved in the preparation of the congressional report.

“It speaks to the many areas that we need government to be active in,” she added. “Consumers can’t figure it out on their own.”

 

The report, by a subcommittee of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, drew on data from four companies that responded to requests for information about testing policies and test results regarding their products.

Investigators reserved their harshest criticism for three other companies that did not provide the requested information: Walmart, which sells Parents’ Choice and Parent’s Choice Organic products; Sprout Organic Foods; and Campbell Soup Company, maker of Plum Organics baby foods.

Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi, Democrat of Illinois, who is chairman of the subcommittee, said the failure to provide the requested information “raises the concern that perhaps they have evidence of even higher metallic content in their baby foods, compared to their competitors.”

Representatives of Walmart and Campbell Soup disputed the characterization, saying the companies had responded to requests for information, although they acknowledged they did not provide testing data. Sprout did not respond to a request for comment.

The Food and Drug Administration does not set limits on heavy metals specifically for baby foods, except for arsenic in rice cereal. The agency does regulate lead in bottled water, juice and candy, and limits arsenic and cadmium in bottled water, as well.

The agency “has been AWOL” and has “completely put its head in the sand and not done anything to regulate the industry,” Mr. Krishnamoorthi said. He plans to introduce legislation to tighten regulatory oversight of baby food, he added.

An F.D.A. spokesman said that the agency had been working toward reducing toxins in foods, and that setting the limit on inorganic arsenic in infant rice cereal was the first step toward doing so, though the limit has been criticized by expert groups as too high.

The agency also has cautioned parents that rice cereal does not need to be an infant’s introduction to solid foods and that they should not rely on it excessively, and should provide a varied grain diet.

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/04/health/baby-food-metals-arsenic.html

[Spartan]

intlo baby food cheskovafam better US lo 

roast some grains and powder them

india lo manam tini pergindi ade

[MRI]

isn't it arsenic that some researchers found was attributing to increase in LGBTQ thoughts? @Anta Assamey

[galiraju]

12 minutes ago, MRI said:

isn't it arsenic that some researchers found was attributing to increase in LGBTQ thoughts? @Anta Assamey

Acute health effects typically include gastrointestinal, neurological, and skin effects, and in a few cases facial edema and cardiac arrhythmia. 

[DummyVariable]

19 minutes ago, Spartan said:

intlo baby food cheskovafam better US lo 

roast some grains and powder them

india lo manam tini pergindi ade

Good one

[DummyVariable]

@betapilli can these chemicals cause autism?

[DummyVariable]

Just now, DummyVariable said:

@betapilli can these chemicals cause autism?

Inviting @soodhilodaaram for comment

[galiraju]

1 minute ago, DummyVariable said:

@betapilli can these chemicals cause autism?

I don't think so. Lead poisoning can delay language and lower IQ, and it can also make kids irritable because lead is irritating the brain. Lead-poisoned kids can also become hyperactive or have trouble getting along with others because lead has affected their behavior -- all signs that might be mistaken for autism.

[DummyVariable]

1 minute ago, galiraju said:

I don't think so. Lead poisoning can delay language and lower IQ, and it can also make kids irritable because lead is irritating the brain. Lead-poisoned kids can also become hyperactive or have trouble getting along with others because lead has affected their behavior -- all signs that might be mistaken for autism.

Diagnosis lo thappu undochchu le..probably all kids should be tested for these chemicals..

[betapilli]

5 minutes ago, DummyVariable said:

@betapilli can these chemicals cause autism?

What do you think causes autism?

[DummyVariable]

1 minute ago, betapilli said:

What do you think causes autism?

[betapilli]

Just now, DummyVariable said:

No one knows. 

[soodhilodaaram]

1 hour ago, galiraju said:

Ingredients in many baby foods, including some organic fare, are contaminated with heavy metals like arsenic, lead and cadmium at levels that are far higher than those allowed in products like bottled water, congressional investigators said on Thursday.

Their report underscored the federal government’s persistently lax approach to overseeing the safety of baby food, some experts said, despite clear risks to infants and toddlers. Exposure to heavy metals in particular has been linked to behavioral impairments, brain damage and even death.

“This is an endemic problem that’s been swept under the rug and never addressed,” said Tracey Woodruff, director of the program on reproductive health and the environment at the University of California, San Francisco, who was not involved in the preparation of the congressional report.

“It speaks to the many areas that we need government to be active in,” she added. “Consumers can’t figure it out on their own.”

The report, by a subcommittee of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, drew on data from four companies that responded to requests for information about testing policies and test results regarding their products.

Investigators reserved their harshest criticism for three other companies that did not provide the requested information: Walmart, which sells Parents’ Choice and Parent’s Choice Organic products; Sprout Organic Foods; and Campbell Soup Company, maker of Plum Organics baby foods.

Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi, Democrat of Illinois, who is chairman of the subcommittee, said the failure to provide the requested information “raises the concern that perhaps they have evidence of even higher metallic content in their baby foods, compared to their competitors.”

Representatives of Walmart and Campbell Soup disputed the characterization, saying the companies had responded to requests for information, although they acknowledged they did not provide testing data. Sprout did not respond to a request for comment.

The Food and Drug Administration does not set limits on heavy metals specifically for baby foods, except for arsenic in rice cereal. The agency does regulate lead in bottled water, juice and candy, and limits arsenic and cadmium in bottled water, as well.

The agency “has been AWOL” and has “completely put its head in the sand and not done anything to regulate the industry,” Mr. Krishnamoorthi said. He plans to introduce legislation to tighten regulatory oversight of baby food, he added.

An F.D.A. spokesman said that the agency had been working toward reducing toxins in foods, and that setting the limit on inorganic arsenic in infant rice cereal was the first step toward doing so, though the limit has been criticized by expert groups as too high.

The agency also has cautioned parents that rice cereal does not need to be an infant’s introduction to solid foods and that they should not rely on it excessively, and should provide a varied grain diet.

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/04/health/baby-food-metals-arsenic.html

there are many factors that can cause au*ti*s*m

1. Environmental air toxicants (lead, arsenic, mercury etc)

2. Glyphosate & other pesticides (usage of this chemical is astronomical), it can even be detected in blood, not all show adverse reactions but autistic are more receptive to these chemicals

3. Gut Microbiome (microbiome of both mother (during pregnancy) and kid) are core factors that can explain lack of neurotypical behavioral patterns in kids

4. Radiation from Wireless devices (advent of cell phone also saw the rise of autism, this is due to awareness around diagnosis ani covering chestaaru)

 

all in all, there are many factors, all factors may not play in every kid, one has to observe and seee what changes can be done on going forward basis to eliminate toxins out of their lives as much as one can

 

[DummyVariable]

1 hour ago, betapilli said:

No one knows. 

Prevailing theory suggests that it is genetic and is mostly maternal. It is also underdiagnosed in women. Mother’s genes have an overwhelming influence on the heritability of the genes. However, I keep thinking assortive mating plays a role too sometimes - aka people who have similar traits tend to like each other/procreate more often.

@Mirage

[DummyVariable]

1 hour ago, DummyVariable said:

Inviting @soodhilodaaram for comment

@Assam_Bhayya too