Baby food products from seven different companies were found to contain significant levels of toxic heavy metals, including arsenic, lead, cadmium, and mercury, according to a report from the Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy within the U.S. House of Representatives.
The report, released on Feb. 4, names the baby food brands HappyBABY, Beech-Nut, Earth’s Best Organic, Gerber, Campbell’s Plum Organics, Walmart’s Parent’s Choice, and Sprout Organic Foods, and presents results showing that their products have significantly higher levels of toxins than is permitted by regulation. Specifically, the analyzed baby food contained 91 times the arsenic level, 177 times the lead level, 69 times the cadmium level, and 5 times the mercury level.
“Exposure to toxic heavy metals causes permanent decreases in IQ, diminished future economic productivity, and increased risk of future criminal and antisocial behavior in children,” the report stated. “Toxic heavy metals endanger infant neurological development and long-term brain function.
