When you scoop powdered baby formula into a bottle, you think you’re giving your child the nutrition they need. But NBC Chicago’s partners at Consumer Reports found something unexpected may also be in the formula.
Consumer Reports analyzed 41 types of powdered formula, and 21 of the formulas tested had little to no detectable heavy metals, including Enfamil Gentlease, Similac Advanced and Kirkland Signature Procare from Costco.
According to Sana Mujahid, the Manager of Food Safety Research and Testing at Consumer Reports, there are no requirements for manufacturers to test their raw ingredients and their finished products for contaminants like heavy metals and acrylamide.
Mujahid said some of the most concerning results from the study found concerning levels of lead as well as one product that had BPA as well as acrylamide detected.
According to Consumer Reports, harmful levels of lead were found in 18 of the 41 formulas tested. Lead exposure in babies can hurt their brain development, according to doctors.
Consumer Reports and doctors told NBC 5 Responds infant formula should be held to a higher standard.
Dr. Susan Buchanan is the director of the Great Lakes Center for Children’s and Reproductive Environmental Health and a clinical associate professor at the University of Illinois-Chicago. She said the United States needs to increase its regulations and inspections to make sure there are consequences if these substances are found in infant formula.
NBC 5 Responds talked with Dr. Buchanan about how much lead exposure an infant would need to have in order to see a negative impact on their health.
She said it depends on the dose and how much lead is in the formula. Dr. Buchanan said, “Babies who are only drinking formula… have a pretty worrisome impact because their entire diet is this formula. And if there’s lead in every single drop that that they’re taking in for their nutrition, that lead can build up.”
Dr. Buchanan said kids should be tested for lead at least once a year until they’re six years old. The test is a simple finger stick blood test at their pediatrician’s office.
United States promises improved infant formula safety:
The U.S. Government says it’s taking steps to identify and remove potentially dangerous contaminants from baby formula with the announcement of Operation Stork Speed.
U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services , Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., recently promised “We’re going to increase the frequency of testing to make sure that no child drinks contaminated formula.”
The announcement came shortly after Consumer Reports presented the FDA with its infant formula testing results.
Challenging the Findings
Two of the eight formula manufacturers put to the test in the Consumer Reports Study have challenged the findings. The full results of the study and all eight of the manufacturer responses are available here.
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