the means to keep the levels of heavy metals in their products below the maximum limit .
Practices such as sourcing rice from crops grown on soil with a low concentration of arsenic , growing crops with natural soil additives to lower heavy metal uptake , and using strains of food that are less likely to absorb toxic metals are bound to reduce the content of heavy metals in baby food significantly . Companies that manufacture infant and toddler food can easily switch to these practices with the assistance of the FDA and other agencies that can provide support in this respect . Therefore , the Closer To Zero plan would be considerably more effective if the agency immediately set interim reference levels and subsequently aided baby food companies with implementing these practices .
The FDA ’ s milestones address the risk of one heavy metal at a time , starting with draft action levels for lead by April 2022 , arsenic by April 2024 , and cadmium and mercury at a later , unspecified date . In addition to being too slow , involving unnecessary steps , and not entailing more aggressive timelines , the Closer To Zero plan also fails to consider the cumulative impact of heavy metals on the neurodevelopment of children when setting limits , to move up deadlines for draft action levels for arsenic and cadmium , and to be transparent by posting testing data rapidly . Nevertheless , a beacon of hope for parents who need safe , non-toxic food for their children as soon as possible is the Baby Food Safety Act of 2021 .
The Baby Food Safety Act Could Solve Current Health Crisis
On March 26 , 2021 , Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi introduced the Baby Food Safety Act bill , whose primary purpose is to set maximum limits for heavy metals in baby food immediately . Moreover , the bill would involve the FDA to a greater extent by making the agency periodically review and , if necessary , lower the levels of heavy metals in baby food even more .
Facilities that handle infant and toddler food in any way would also have to have special plans to ensure that their products comply with the safe limits on toxic metals set by the bill if the Baby Food Safety Act of 2021 becomes law . Lastly , the bill would make it mandatory for the Centers for Disease Control to carry out awareness campaigns highlighting the risks of heavy metals in baby food .
If the Baby Food Safety Act of 2021 becomes effective , parents will no longer have to worry about the content of heavy metals in their children ’ s food , which is supposed to nourish them and help them generally develop at a healthy pace . Within a short time , all baby food companies would adhere to ethical practices and be transparent about the manufacturing process and the heavy metal testing they conduct on ingredients and finished products .
Practical Measures Baby Food Companies Should Take To Reduce Heavy Metal Contamination
In addition to implementing certain practices to reduce the content of heavy metals in products , companies can take other preventive measures to ensure their business remains ethical . Hiring trustworthy people is perhaps the most crucial step to make sure no foul play will occur . Furthermore , it would be best to source ingredients from principled suppliers , such as local farmers , since they typically use transparent business practices .
Moreover , another measure to be taken is periodically testing products for heavy metals to know for sure that the baby food allowed on the market does not contain dangerous concentrations of toxic metals . The labels on infant and toddler food should also be honest and transparent , even if sourced ingredients are not highly qualitative ; this will gain the consumer ’ s trust . Finally , if a high concentration of heavy metals is detected in one or multiple lots , they should be recalled immediately to avoid backlash and lawsuits for allowing dangerous baby foods to remain on the shelves .
After reviewing what the Closer To Zero plan and the Baby Food Safety Act of 2021 entail , there is no doubt that the latter would benefit infants and toddlers substantially more , as it would impose safe limits for arsenic , cadmium , lead , and mercury right away and parents would no longer be at a loss about what to feed their babies . The bill is currently in the Senate and , hopefully , we will witness it becoming law as soon as possible , as the parents of very young children need a source of clean , nourishing food for their little ones that is free of toxic metals .
Jonathan Sharp is Chief Financial Officer at Environmental Litigation Group , PC , The law firm , which is headquartered in Birmingham , Alabama , specializes in toxic exposure . The primary responsibilities of Jonathan Sharp include client relations , financial analysis , the collection and distribution of the funds , management of firm assets , and case evaluation .
86 x The Trial Lawyer