Harming the Most Vulnerable: Testing Reveals High Levels of Toxic Heavy Metals in Baby Formula, and Toxic Chemicals in Gluten-Free Foods
As usual, the FDA has not been doing its job. Private organizations stepped in, did lab testing, and discovered the poisoning of our children.
BS”D
“FDA, asleep at the wheel” is much too mild a title here. What is going on? Why aren’t THEY the ones testing and finding the lead, mercury, aluminum, and arsenic in the baby formulas?
Rhoda Wilson at Expose News reported on June 18:
Several infant formula brands are contaminated with not just one, but five toxic heavy metals
In a study published last month, researchers looked at samples from 20 formulas made by well-known American and international brands and found that six out of 20 formulas tested positive for five types of toxic heavy metals, including lead and aluminium.
US lawmakers are also working on a new bill, dubbed The Baby Food Safety Act of 2024, that would direct the FDA to set maximum allowable limits for heavy metals in baby food and infant formula.
BW: Say it again? The FDA has to be directed to set maximum allowable limits for toxic heavy metals in baby formula? For what purpose does the FDA exist, then?
Dr. Mercola:
Is Your Baby’s ‘First Food’ Loaded With Toxic Heavy Metals?
Study on Infant Formulas Finds All Samples Contaminated With Heavy Metals
Published in May 2024, the study was a collaboration between two non-profit organisations, GMOScience and Moms Across America.1 Spearheaded by Michelle Perro, MD, Zen Honeycutt and Stephanie Seneff, PhD, 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 labelled “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 aluminium 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 US 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 aluminium 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 aluminium 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 emphasised 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 aluminium 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 US 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.
US 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 CNNarticle: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
What’s more, infant formulas are made with junk ingredients that contribute nothing to your child’s health. Just take a look at the list of ingredients of one infant formula that’s “highly recommended” in the US:
See the rest of the article at: https://expose-news.com/2024/06/18/several-infant-formula-brands-are-contaminated/
I cannot help but wonder: Was it a feature, not a bug? Was this poisonous stuff somehow designed to be in our kids’ food? Like, was it put there for a reason?
And now the gluten-free food story…. every bit as bad
ASHEVILLE, NC, UNITED STATES, June 10, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Moms Across America, a national educational nonprofit dedicated to empowering mothers and others to create healthy families and communities, today announced the results of testing for glyphosate/AMPA, 236 pesticides, gluten, and mineral content in 46 samples of organic and non-organic gluten-free food products including bread, pasta, crackers, snacks, flour, dessert mixes, and chips.
Approximately six percent of Americans today are gluten intolerant, which means that nearly 20 million Americans follow a gluten-free diet. Of those, 3.1 million have celiac disease, a life-threatening condition that requires gluten avoidance. Studies have identified the ubiquitous use of glyphosate, the active ingredient in the herbicide, Roundup®, on genetically modified grain as an important causal factor in the growing epidemic.
Concerned that the food products consumers are eating to avoid gluten may contain the chemical that is causing their gluten intolerance, glyphosate, Moms Across America commissioned testing from an accredited lab in the U.S. Findings include:
44 of the 46 samples tested were positive for glyphosate, a known contributor to gluten intolerance. Twenty-one percent tested higher than 10 ppb, the EU threshold for acceptable glyphosate residues.
The highest level of glyphosate- 2,963 ppb found in Banza Chickpea Pasta- is the highest amount ever measured in human food by the lab.
Gluten-free products that were also organic were not the lowest in glyphosate.
2,4-D, the active chemical in Agent Orange, was the most prevalent pesticide detected.
Three of the samples, namely Simple Mills Brownie Mix, Made Good Vanilla cookies, and Simple Mills almond flour crackers registered gluten levels above the 20 ppm allowed by the FDA (31.7 ppm, 56.1 ppm, and 59.4 ppm, respectively).
King Arthur’s Gluten Free Flour and Milton’s Sea Salt Crackers had the highest levels of pesticides at 147 ppb and 75 ppb, respectively.
The mineral values in all samples were very low based on the FDA Recommended Daily Values and accurate serving sizes per category, well below the 10% of daily value considered sufficient across age and gender.
"The glyphosate contamination in these products should set off alarm bells, because those who try to improve gut health by switching to a gluten-free diet may be jumping from the frying pan into the fire," remarked MIT research scientist Stephanie Seneff, author of Toxic Legacy.
Zen Honeycutt, founding Director of Moms Across America, states, “The prevalence of glyphosate and agrochemicals in gluten-free food products made for people with conditions such as celiac disease is disturbing for many reasons, especially because it is avoidable. All our policy makers need to do is disallow the spraying of glyphosate and other agrochemicals as a drying agent, as the EU has done, and 80% of our exposure to glyphosate would be eliminated from our diet altogether. We urge food manufacturers to join us in calling for better regulation of the food supply.”
For more details on all test results, visit: https://www.momsacrossamerica.com/gluten_free_food_test_results
Link to above article:
What is going on?
Doesn’t the FDA do anything?
One journalist thinks that the FDA might actually be just a front organization:
I personally believe they could snap their fingers and outlaw the poisons used on our foods tomorrow, if they wanted to.
Obviously, they don’t want to.
Fire the FDA!
I just spoke with Amy, Customer Service Shift Lead at King Arthur Flour, who was most courteous and informative. She pointed out that their gluten-free flour is not claiming to be organic, hence their suppliers are only required to observe the upper limit set by the US for glyphosate of 30 ppMillion. This is of course orders of magnitude higher than the EU upper limit of 10ppBillion. Poor us! The richest, sickest, nation on earth. By the way, Amy said she had received other calls about the article and all comments will be passed along to management, both as to customer concerns and also consideration of new products in response to customer demand. I told her I would now have to throw out my bag of flour and she did not offer a refund....