Toxins in baby food: FDA unveils action plan to slash lead, arsenic, cadmium and mercury levels

09 Apr 2021 --- The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has revealed an action plan for reducing exposure to toxic elements, including lead, arsenic, cadmium and mercury, from foods for babies and young children.

Called “Closer to Zero,” the plan focuses on advancing research, setting action levels with stakeholder input and encouraging industry to adopt best practices.

The authority will also increase targeted compliance and enforcement activities and monitor the progress of levels over time.

“It is crucial to ensure that measures to limit toxic elements in foods do not have unintended consequences – like limiting access to foods that have significant nutritional benefits by making them unavailable or unaffordable for many families,” flags the FDA.

Additionally, reformulating foods to reduce the presence of a toxic element may inadvertently increase the presence of another.

The FDA says that taking these feasibility and achievability issues into account will help ensure equitable availability of safe and nutritious foods for all babies and young children.Closer to Zero outlines four stages of an iterative science-based approach.

A four-stage system
Closer to Zero outlines four stages of an iterative science-based approach: evaluate, propose, consult and finalize.

Under the evaluate header, the FDA will examine existing data from routine testing of the food supply, research and data on chemical analytical methods, toxicological assays, exposure and risk assessments, and other relevant scientific information. 

It can then establish interim reference levels (IRLs) for certain toxic elements as appropriate.

The IRLs may be among the key factors that inform the development of the FDA’s proposed action levels for certain toxic elements in categories of baby foods. 

Next, the FDA will consult with stakeholders on proposed action levels, including the achievability and feasibility of action levels.

Lastly, the FDA will use the information gathered from stakeholders, updated scientific research, and routine monitoring of data to make any needed adjustments before finalizing action levels.

Embarking on the first phase
Different combinations of the stages will occur over three different phases. In phase 1 – which will last until April 2022 – the FDA is committed to:

• Proposing action levels for lead in categories of foods consumed by babies and young children.
• Consulting with and gathering data from stakeholders and federal partners on issues such as feasibility and best practices.
• Evaluating the science related to arsenic exposure from foods.
• Sharing resources with industry on best practices for reducing or preventing lead contamination.
• Completing updated sampling assignments that will look at toxic element levels in baby foods.

Phase 2 will take place from April 2022 and April 2024 and is set to finalize action levels for lead, propose and consult about arsenic and evaluate cadmium and mercury. 

Onwards from April 2024, phase 3 will see lead reevaluated, proposals and consultations take place for cadmium and mercury, while arsenic levels will be finalized. 

As new data, information and resources become available, FDA will continue the cycle of continual improvement, addressing each toxic element in its turn.Reducing exposure to toxic elements helps minimize potential long-term effects on the brains of infants and children.

Limits to reduction levels
The FDA flags that because fruits, vegetables and grains can “take up” toxic elements in the environment from the water, soil, and air, there are limits to how low the levels can be reduced. Exposure to toxic elements depends on the levels of the elements found in foods as well as the amount of the food consumed.

It also points out that parents making their own baby foods could result in higher concentrations of toxic elements. Compared to a single consumer, food manufacturers have more capability to implement strategies that lead to using ingredients with lower concentrations of toxic elements.

In February, the US baby food industry hit back at a report from The Committee on Oversight and Reform that said infant foods are tainted with dangerous levels of toxic heavy metals. 

Last year, the FDA revealed that the amount of infant rice cereals that do not surpass its recommendation for inorganic arsenic levels rose to 76 percent in 2018, up from just 26 percent earlier in the decade.

Meanwhile, a study recently found that half of UK rice contains more arsenic than the European Commission regulations for rice meant for the consumption for infants or young children.

By Katherine Durrell