Is Your Baby’s ‘First Food’ Loaded With Toxic Heavy Metals?
The “breast versus bottle” debate has long divided concerned parents who only want the best nourishment for their child. Many parents who seek convenience often choose infant formula. Others, such as moms who cannot produce enough breast milk to satisfy their children, have no choice but to resort to formula milk.
So, to find out that most infant formulas sold today are contaminated with not just one, but FIVE toxic metals is not just alarming, but an eye-opener to just how unnatural and damaging these highly processed infant foods are.
Study on Infant Formulas Finds All Samples Contaminated With Heavy Metals
Published in May 2024, the study was a collaboration between two nonprofit organizations, GMOScience and Moms Across America.1 Spearheaded by Michelle Perro, MD, Zen Honeycutt and Stephanie Seneff, Ph.D., the study aimed to determine the presence of toxic metals in several brands of infant formula.
The researchers tested 40 samples from 20 formulas made by well-known local and international brands, such as Enfamil, Gerber and Similac, to name a few. Some were labeled “Organic,” “Non-GMO,” “Grass fed” and “Hypoallergenic.” Most formulas were dairy-based, and only one was soy-based. Each formula was tested twice.
The study findings were alarming. Not only did all samples test positive for aluminum and lead, but the researchers also found that:2
- Six out of 20 formulas tested positive for all the heavy metals being tested
- 35% of the samples tested positive for cadmium, 55% were positive for mercury and 57% were positive for arsenic
- Four samples had mercury levels that were higher than the allowed limit in drinking water by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
- Cadmium levels in both samples of one formula are nearly twice higher than the allowed amount in drinking water
- The aluminum levels in a goat’s milk baby formula were at 41,000 ppb — this means it was 4,000 to 40,000 times higher than other metals in the formulas tested. It also exceeds the limits set by the FDA for the maximum safety level of aluminum for a preemie
Heavy Metals Can Cross Your Infant’s Underdeveloped Blood-Brain Barrier
The study authors, who released their findings on their podcast The New MDS (Mothers, Doctors and Scientists),3 emphasized the significance of this project and what it can mean for young children’s health. They mentioned that these toxic heavy metals can cross your child’s blood-brain barrier, which doesn’t fully develop until they’re 6 months old, which puts them at risk of cognitive health issues.
“Chronic exposure to these metals, even at low levels, can have cumulative effects on infants, potentially leading to developmental and neurological issues, carcinogenic, as well as initiating the development of chronic diseases later in life.
Given the [crucial] growth period in infants, even small amounts of toxic metals can have disproportionately large impacts as compared to adults,” they stated.4
They also noted that the heavy metal contamination from formula milk can have a cumulative effect. The levels can also increase during early infant growth, as well as when various nutrient deficiencies are present, such as iron and vitamin D deficiency.5 In a blog post, Anne Temple of Moms Across America commented:6
“[W]e are extremely dismayed by the results. We had hoped some formulas would be free from toxic and heavy metals, but they were not. We were shocked to see such high levels of toxic metal aluminum present in goat’s milk formula and urge the manufacturers and the FDA to immediately take action to resolve this issue.”
Even More Alarming — Infant Formula Tests Positive for Cronobacter
In late May 2024, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) sounded the alarm on another infant formula manufacturer after learning that it not only failed to comply with FDA regulations,7 but one of its products is contaminated with Cronobacter.8,9
The Crecelac Infant Powdered Goat Milk Formula was voluntarily recalled by its Texas-based manufacturer Dairy Manufacturers Inc. after its samples tested positive for Cronobacter. This bacterium can cause life-threatening infections affecting the central nervous system and bloodstream, such as meningitis and sepsis.
Cronobacter infections are most common in infants younger than 2 months and can lead to complications like brain abscess, developmental delay and motor impairments. In the majority of cases, this infection can be fatal.10
Initial symptoms of this infection include poor feeding, temperature changes, irritability, jaundice, grunting breaths and abnormal body movements. So far, no illnesses related to the Crecelac recall have been reported,11 though the FDA cautions parents and guardians to contact their health care provider and get immediate care if their child experiences these symptoms after consuming these infant formulas.12
New Bill Aims to Limit Harmful Heavy Metals in Baby Food
There is one good outcome that came from the GMOScience and Moms Across America study — the FDA is taking notice and has made encouraging statements regarding the regulation of heavy metals in infant formula.
U.S. lawmakers are also working on a new bill, dubbed The Baby Food Safety Act of 2024,13 that would direct the FDA to set maximum allowable limits for heavy metals in baby food, as well as to monitor and set standards for testing the final product. This will also allow them to establish mandatory recalls for food products that don’t meet the standards. According to a CNN article:14
“‘Parents want what’s best for their children, and they deserve peace of mind knowing the food they purchase for their babies and toddlers is safe,’ Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minnesota, said in a statement about the bill she is leading.
‘This legislation will boost food safety standards and require more complete testing by manufacturers to prevent heavy metals from poisoning our kids.’”
In recent years, there have been increasing instances of heavy metal contamination seen in baby foods. “A 2019 report from the advocacy group Healthy Babies Bright Futures said that 95% of baby foods from major manufacturers contained lead and a quarter of the foods contained all four heavy metals,” CNN reports.15
And just last year, the FDA issued a recall for three brands of fruit pouches after they were found to contain high lead levels.
“We urge our Senators and Representatives from both sides of the aisle to remember that toxins are not partisan. Heavy metals, pesticides, and contaminants damage a baby’s development, impair their ability to function, and prevent them from fulfilling their potential regardless of their parent’s political party. It is imperative that our politicians come together to support this bill,” according to the Moms Across America website.
Most Infant Formulas Are Actually Junk Food
These findings aren’t at all surpri
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