Just as the infant formula crisis of 2022 has receded from the collective memory of American parents comes word of a new formula fiasco: presence of harmful contaminants, including arsenic and lead, in some of the leading brands, according to a Consumer Reports (CR) investigation.
“We really want these results to be empowering for parents,” said CR’s manager of food safety research and testing, Sana Mujahid, in the report. “If you are just at the beginning of your formula journey, there are plenty of safer choices from major brands like Enfamil and Similac and smaller brands like Bobbie. If you are already giving your child one of the formulas on our list with comparatively higher levels of contaminants, there are several steps you can take.”
For the analysis, CR tested 41 types of powdered formula—established, newer, and popular store brands, as well as imported options—for a range of toxic chemicals, including arsenic, cadmium, mercury, and lead. About half of the samples contained “potentially harmful levels” of at least one contaminant. But testers also found it “reassuring” that the other half were safe.
And the investigation has already led to some positive change by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which, after being informed of CR’s findings this week, announced a new initiative, called Operation Stork Speed, to strengthen its oversight of the formula industry, including with increased testing for contaminants.
“The FDA will use all resources and authorities at its disposal to make sure infant formula products are safe and wholesome for the families and children who rely on them,” said HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Consumer Reports head of food policy called the FDA’s immediate response “encouraging,” adding that “we hope the FDA is provided adequate resources and staffing to actually follow through on their promises.”
What the infant formula investigation found
Arsenic
This naturally occurring heavy metal—which can also be the result of industrial manufacturing and fracking—is carcinogenic to humans, with the most toxic form called inorganic arsenic. CR’s testing measured both total arsenic and inorganic arsenic, finding the highest levels in brands EleCare Hypoallergenic and Similac Alimentum—both made by Abbott Nutrition, the company that exacerbated the COVID-related infant formula shortage of 2022 by issuing several recalls.
Abbott responded to CR in a statement, saying it had concerns about the methodology used, and that such contaminants “may be present in trace amounts in food products, including all brands of infant formula and even human breast milk.” Still, the levels found in the brand’s formulas exceeded those established as safe in drinking water by the Environmental Protection Agency.
“Arsenic in high levels, of course, is a poison,” Dr. Mark R. Corkins, professor of pediatrics at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis, told Consumer Reports. “Over time, it increases your risk for certain cancers. So, long term, arsenic is a big concern.”
Added Dr. David Carpenter, director of the Institute for Health and the Environment at the State University of New York at Albany, “There is no excuse for having arsenic in baby food or formula. Absolutely none. The industry should be bending over backward to be certain it’s not there.”
Lead
Also natural but toxic, lead can contaminate food through the soil it’s grown in, as well as through water used for irrigation. It can have immediate neurological effects on babies and children if exposed, and has been linked to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, behavior problems, and lowered IQ.
Because it’s pervasive in the environment, and difficult to get it completely out of water and food, CR expected to find it in almost all the formulas, and did. And while levels were below established limits of the FDA, experts believe they should be lower.
“We know that there is no safe level of lead exposure,” Hannah Gardener, a professor in the department of neurology at the University of Miami, who has researched heavy metal contamination in infant formulas, told CR. But to keep levels as low as possible, she added, “manufacturers need to do many things to protect consumers, including rigorous and repeated testing of their products and disclosing the contamination levels to consumers.”
On the positive side, mercury was not found in any of the formulas, and cadmium was found at levels too low to be concerning.
What parents can do
The good news here is that there are many safe choices out there—specifically, 21 deemed to be “top choices” by CR—such as Similac Advance, Enfamil Gentlease, and Earth’s Best Organic Dairy—and 10 “good choices,” including Similac 360 Total Care and Kendamil Organic.
Read more from Fortune
Among the 10 “worse choices” are Similac Total Comfort and Target’s Up & Up Soy, both of which contained inorganic arsenic. (Find the entire list here.)
Though the brands tested are made by 14 companies, the U.S. market is dominated by just a handful, explained CR in its report. And about half of all formula bought in the U.S. is purchased through the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)—almost all of which is made by just two companies, Abbott, which makes Similac, and Mead Johnson, which makes Enfamil.
Both companies challenged CR’s findings when given a chance to respond, sending detailed comments and noting that trace levels of heavy metals in the food supply are not an issue that is unique to infant formula.
“Abbott has a multistep quality process in place for heavy metals to ensure that levels satisfy all relevant regulatory requirements in all countries we serve,” Abbott Nutrition vice president Dr. Hakim Bouzamondo told CR, adding that he disagreed with the use of California’s extra-conservative metrics to assess risk.
A Mead Johnson spokesperson described the company’s “stringent testing protocols” and told CR that the company is “committed to providing the highest levels of quality and safety for all our infant formula products as is evidenced by the fact that parents and pediatricians have trusted our infant nutritional products for nearly 120 years.”
More on contaminants:
- Some protein powders contain cancer-causing toxins, new study shows, and these 3 types are the worst offenders
- The truth about American drinking water: Report shows widespread presence of hazardous chemicals
- 8 toxic ingredients lurking in your skincare and hair products. What to avoid
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