Study finds lead in 95 percent of baby foods: Dr. Siegel says parents should not worry
Fox News contributor Dr. Marc Siegel said parents should not worry – but need to be careful – after an alarming survey of popular baby foods in the United States revealed that 95 percent of the products tested contained toxic ingredients, including arsenic and lead .
"They shouldn't be worried, but they should be aware of this," he said Monday on "America's Newsroom."
The study, conducted by Healthy Babies Bright Futures, found baby mix and rice-based snacks to be the most toxic and reflected similar research previously conducted by the FDA and other consumer agencies.
Siegel, a practicing internist and professor at NYU Langone Medical Center, pointed out that the study found that one of five products showed "ten times" the allowable amount of lead. He said exposure to heavy metals is hindering early childhood development, but the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has made progress in reducing levels of arsenic and lead in foods.
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Buying organic or choosing to make your own baby food will also not prevent you exposing your child to the harmful ingredients, as heavy metals naturally occurs in soil and water and is found at elevated levels in fields contaminated by pesticides, contaminated with fertilizers or other contaminants.
"It's a very difficult problem to get rid of," Siegel said, emphasizing that parents should not be afraid based on these findings.
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In the study, researchers looked at 61[ads1] brands and found that 88 percent of tested foods lacked any federal standards or guidance on maximum safe levels of toxic heavy metals such as arsenic and lead.
Beauty snacks and other rice-based foods such as infant formula were among the highest levels, and researchers claimed to find "no evidence to suggest that any brand has reduced the heavy metal level in rice to quantities comparable to those in other types of grains, despite at least 10 years with considerable public attention on the case, which has included extensive consumer alerts and a proposed federal level of action. ”
The findings led to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, DN.Y. , To request immediate action, and claim that the FDA "sits on its hands." Siegel said Schumer is "magnificent" and said the FDA has been able to reduce the amount of arsenic in juices by 75 percent and by 35 percent in grains.
Fox News & # 39; Alexandria Hein contributed to this report. [19659013]
