Are baby food manufacturers selling products that contain toxic levels of heavy metals?
According to various news sources and a congressional investigation, they are.
After congressional investigators asked seven of the largest baby food manufacturers in the U.S. to provide them with internal documents and test results, they learned that certain baby food products may not be as healthy as companies claim for growing and developing infants and toddlers.1 In fact, they might actually be harmful to their “neurological development and long-term brain function.”
Some of the companies that supplied the requested documents and results include Nurture, Beech-Nut, Hain, and Gerber. Today.com says Walmart, Campbell, and Sprout Organic Foods chose not to comply with the request leaving many families and health experts wondering what it is they might be hiding.
Here’s what the congressional investigation found after reviewing the documents submitted by the companies that werewilling to comply:
- Many of the top baby foods that are purchased by parents contain “dangerous levels of inorganic arsenic, lead, cadmium, and mercury.” High exposures to lead alone could cause a person, or baby in this situation, to suffer from amenia or even kidney or brain damage.2
- Manufacturers are “ignoring internal standards [by] continuing to sell products with higher heavy metal levels.”
- Manufacturers are setting their own standards which has resulted in them using dangerous levels of toxic heavy metals.
After learning just how toxic certain baby foods might be, Krishnamoorthi, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy, stated that baby food manufacturing companies are selling these harmful products “without any warning labels whatsoever.” Krishnamoorthi added that he is looking forward to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration’s (FDA) “careful regulation of these toxic heavy metals in baby foods” and hopes to see stricter compliance requirements set.
What duty do product manufacturers owe to consumers?
Companies that manufacturer foods, toys, appliances, etc. are all required to ensure the products they are selling to consumers don’t pose as a risk to their health or lives. If a product does carry risks, the manufacturer is then required to provide consumers with a warning so that they can make an informed decision as to whether they want to purchase it or not.
Manufacturing companies that fail to comply with safety standards that aim to keep consumers safe could face legal consequences if someone were to become injured or ill as a result of using their product.
Who can a parent contact to discuss their legal questions and concerns regarding the tainted baby foods?
For years, parents have relied on baby food manufacturers to provide them and their babies with a healthy source of nutrition. Unfortunately, the recent investigation has shown that parents may have been unknowingly feeding their babies foods that could affect their health now and in the future.
If a parent in Pennsylvania has a question about the recent congressional investigation or wants to know more about how they can hold a baby food manufacturer liable for producing toxic products, they can contact a PA personal injury lawyer. In fact, the personal injury attorneys at Scanlon & Wojton have a great deal of experience with handling product liability cases and would be happy to address any concerns parents may not have.
Scanlon & Wojton can be reached at:
The Mitchell Building
304 Ross Street, Suite 510
Pittsburgh, PA 15219
Phone: 412-918-1241
Website: www.swlegalteam.com
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