Attorney General Dana Nessel calls on FDA to protect children from lead in baby food
(CBS DETROIT) - Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel and a coalition of attorneys generals are calling on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to take action to protect children from lead and other toxic metals in baby food.
The coalition, which includes Nessel and 20 other attorneys general, is urging the FDA to act on their Oct. 2021 and June 2022 petitions in which they requested for the FDA to issue guidance that would require testing all finished baby food products for lead and other metals.
In the petition, the coalition points to hundreds of recent cases of lead poisoning in children that were linked to WanaBana, Schnucks, and Weis brand cinnamon applesauce pouches sold nationwide without being tested for toxic metals.
The Centers for Disease Control says nearly 400 confirmed (or probable) lead poisoning cases were linked to these products.
"It is crucial to the health of our children that manufacturers test their products for heavy metals before marketing them, particularly foods for infants and toddlers," Nessel said. "The number of adverse events connected to these now-recalled products is unacceptable and so are the FDA's delays in issuing guidance on this matter to the food manufacturing industry. I stand firmly with my colleagues in urging the FDA to act to protect our most vulnerable residents."
Despite findings that show babies and young children are more susceptible to harmful effects of toxic metals, the coalitions says the FDA only has on action level for one kind of metal.
According to a release from the attorney general's office, there is only an action level for inorganic arsenic in baby rice cereal.
Currently, manufacturers who get to choose whether or not they test their baby food products for metals.
The FDA had set dates for reaching action level testing in baby foods, but has since removed that information from its website.
"In April 2021, the FDA announced the "Closer to Zero" plan, under which the agency committed to proposing "action levels" for lead in various baby foods by April 2022; inorganic arsenic in various baby foods by April 2024; and cadmium and mercury sometime after April 2024," according to the release.
The FDA denied the coalitions first letter, so they requested reconsideration in 2022.
The others involved in this coalition include the attorneys general of Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin.