Aug. 12, 2022 — Homemade baby food contains as many toxic metals as store-bought food, according to a new report released Thursday.
About 94% of household and commercial products were contaminated with one or more heavy metals. The standards of heavy metal varied greatly according to the type of food, not who made the food.
“We found no evidence that homemade baby food made from store-bought products is better than store-bought baby food when it comes to heavy metal contamination,” Jane Houlihan, author co-author of the paper and director of research for Healthy Babies, Bright. Future, he told CNN.
The group, a coalition of non-profit organizations, scientists and donors, aims to reduce the exposure of babies to toxic chemicals.
“Exposure to toxic metals can be harmful to the developing brain. It has been linked to learning, cognitive and behavioral problems,” according to consumer-oriented information from the American Academy of Pediatrics. But remember that many genetic, social and environmental factors influence healthy brain development, and toxic metal exposure is one of these factors.”
Houlihan and her colleagues tested 288 foods purchased at grocery stores and farmers markets across the U.S., including whole grains, fruits, vegetables, snacks, snack foods and family foods for babies, such as cereal and rice cakes. They tested for four major metals – lead, arsenic, mercury and cadmium – some of the WHO’s top 10 chemicals of concern to infants and children. They also looked at data from 7,000 food tests reported in studies published by the FDA.
Researchers have found that 94% of foods contain detectable amounts of one or more heavy metals. Lead has been found in 90% of processed baby foods and 80% of household store-bought foods and homemade purees.
Additionally, arsenic was found in 68% of store-bought baby foods and 72% of family foods purchased or prepared at home. Cadmium was found in 65% of baby food purchased and 60% of household food. Mercury was found in 7% of store-bought baby foods and 10% of household foods.
The new report follows the November 2019 Healthy Babies, Bright Futures report, which tested 168 foods purchased from major baby food manufacturers. Studies have found that 95% of baby food bought in stores contains lead, 73% contains arsenic, 75% contains cadmium and 32% contains mercury. About a quarter of the food contained four heavy metals.
“After that report, we saw a lot of people saying that you can solve this problem by making your own baby food at home, so we decided to investigate,” Houlihan told CNN. “We suspected that we would find heavy metals in all kinds of food because they pollute everything in the environment.”
Live Kids, Bright Futures have created a new parent’s guide to favorite baby foods to give, reduce and avoid following temptations.
Four popular foods made from rice – fried rice cereal, brown rice, rice cakes and rice cakes – were so contaminated with heavy metals that the researchers recommended avoiding them by completely. On the other hand, 14 foods—such as bananas, apples, beans, peas, milk and cheese—are less contagious and can be given freely.
On average, 22 foods – including peanut butter, fruit juice, oatmeal and toothpicks – contain moderate amounts of heavy metals. These should be eaten rarely or alternately with other foods, the researchers said. For some foods, processing, peeling and cooking the food can lower the iron content.
The important thing is to feed children with as many different types of food as possible, Mark Corkins, MD, pediatrician and chairman of the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Nutrition Committee, told CNN.
He said: “If you spread the food, and you provide a wide variety of options, you will have less toxicity.” And with proper nutrition, it’s always been the right thing to get the least amount of nutrients from the food you eat.
