A new study developed by the Environmental Defense Fund found traces of lead in many samples of baby food. This raised many concerns on the safety of our children, as well as that of the manufacturing processes. Researchers came to the conclusion that eating baby foods might make people six percent more likely to consume lead.
- Baby foods contain more lead than regular foods.
- More fruits and juices for kids tested positive than their ‘adult’ versions.
- Manufacturers must take immediate measures and change their production methods.
For the study, researchers looked at lead concentrations in 2,164 samples of baby food, and 10,064 samples of regular food. The results were somehow surprising. Around 20 percent of the baby samples contained lead, while only 14 percent of the non-baby food samples had the substance. More precisely, 52 different types of baby food were tested, and 52 of them had lead in them.
Among these foods, there were some which contained high quantities of the substance and might pose bigger problems. The top one is grape juice, with 89 percent of its baby version containing lead. Then, it is followed by mixed fruits with 67 percent, apples with 55 percent, and pears with 45 percent. As a comparison, the non-baby versions contain significantly less lead.
Among the vegetables which put babies at risk of lead ingestion, there are sweet potatoes, with the alarming quantity of 86 percent. Carrots are also on the list, with 43 percent. What is most worrying about this is the fact that researchers can’t tell where the lead comes from.
Also, they are not sure that those foods with low levels were the result of a stricter manufacturer who stuck to the regulations or everything just happened by chance. Anyway, changed must be applied immediately, since any exposure to lead is dangerous for children.
Image Source: Wikimedia Commons
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