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What to Do About High Levels of Lead and Cadmium Found in Organic Baby Food
A recent study by Consumer Reports found high levels of lead, cadmium, and arsenic in baby foods.
And these were found in leading certified organic brands also.
Consumer Reports tested baby and toddler food in four categories:
- Cereals
- Snacks
- Packaged fruits and vegetables
- Entrees
…And in each one they found at least measurable levels of cadmium, lead, or arsenic.
Babies and toddlers absorb more of heavy metals than adults do. And this is cause for concern because heavy metals can cause cognitive impairment when consumed over the long-term. Some may even be the cause for autism.
How Could This Happen?
With rigorous organic certification processes in place, you’d first wonder how it could happen that high amounts of heavy metals end up in baby food anyway.
Well, there’s three explanations for that:
- For an organic farm to get certified as “organic,” it has to be in compliance with the required practices for three years. Any contamination with pesticides, mining, smelting, or leaded gasoline that happened on the farm before then could still remain – and the farm could be in total compliance with all requirements for its certification.
- For packaged foods, it could be that the type of metal used in the packaging machinery finds its way into your baby’s food.
- The government readily acknowledges heavy metals pose a danger to babies and toddlers. However, it currently has no regulation regarding heavy metals.
What You Can Do
Fortunately, you’re not helpless. You don’t have to sit around, feed your baby toxic food, watch them get brain damage, and wait years for the government to do something.
Instead, you can do this:
1. Limit Your Child’s Exposure to Rice Cereal
Because cereal is easy to swallow and has high iron, it’s typically the first solid a toddler eats. However, it doesn’t have to be a rice cereal, which can be high in heavy metals. And it’s wisest to give your baby or toddler a variety of cereals anyway.
You can completely eliminate their exposure to rice cereal. However, you should be fine with simply minimizing how much they consume too.
2. Prep Rice the Smart Way
If you want your child to have rice in their diet (which can be high in arsenic), cook it in a solution of 6-10 parts of water to one part of rice.
This drains some of the arsenic away.
3. Add Foods Low in Heavy Metals
Apples, unsweetened applesauce, avocados, bananas, beans, cheese, grapes, hard-boiled eggs, peaches, strawberries, and yogurt are low in heavy metals. Make sure you include them in your child’s diet.
4. Consider Avoiding Fruit Juice
Apple and grape juice routinely contain arsenic and lead. Plus, they’re pretty much only sugar.
Do your child’s health a favor by avoiding them.
5. Test Your Water
If you drink well water or have a home with older pipes, it’s worth your time to have it tested.
Heavy metals can seep into your water.
6. Put Pressure on Your Favorite Organic Brands
Contact your favorite organic brands and demand that they test their products for heavy metals. Encourage those in your social circles to do the same if they feel the same way.
Ask that they then post the results on their website. And ask them to source their product from suppliers who produce their product in ways that minimize or eliminate heavy metal exposure.
Remember, companies serve you. If enough customers get upset and refuse to buy, the company has to take action if it wants to stay alive. That is how you keep them accountable for their actions.
Hope this helps you as you decide how to add more organic food to your life!
See a complete list of Baby Food at HealthyNature.Green.
