(RxWiki News) The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced new actions meant to reduce toxic elements in food for babies and young children.
The FDA said it sent a letter to baby and children's food manufacturers to remind them of their obligation to produce food that is safe for children's consumption. The agency also said it is putting together a plan of action to reduce levels of toxic elements like lead, arsenic, mercury and cadmium in these foods.
After recent reports of elevated levels of these elements in certain baby foods, the public's concern for young children's health has been on high alert. The FDA said it shares those concerns but noted that even at the raised levels recently reported, children are not at immediate risk from exposure to these elements through food.
"We share the public’s concerns for the health of America’s children, and want to reassure parents and caregivers that at the levels we have found through our testing, children are not at an immediate health risk from exposure to toxic elements in foods," the agency said in a press release. "The FDA routinely monitors levels of toxic elements in food, and if we find that they pose a health risk, the FDA takes steps to remove those foods from the market."
Still, research has shown that exposure to these elements can cause long-term health problems tied to children's brain development. That is why the FDA said it plans to take the following actions to reduce children's exposure:
- Increasing baby food inspections and potential compliance actions
- Issuing guidance to industry players on how to produce foods with as little of these toxic elements as possible
- Doing more baby food sampling and sharing results with the public
- Promoting further research on safe children's food production and the effects of exposure to toxic elements
The FDA noted that elements like arsenic and lead are part of the environment in small amounts, making them impossible to completely remove from the food supply. While avoiding exposure altogether is not possible, parents can take actions like feeding their children a variety of grain-based cereals instead of just rice cereal, which can be high in arsenic.
If you are concerned about your child's diet or development, speak with your child's doctor.
