Krishnamoorthi, Klobuchar, Duckworth, And Cárdenas Respond To New Consumer Reports Investigation Revealing High Levels Of Arsenic In Baby Food

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Today, Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08), the Chairman of the Committee on Oversight and Reform's Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy, U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), and Congressman Tony Cárdenas (CA-29), the Vice Chair of the Energy and Commerce's Subcommittee on Consumer Protection and Commerce, the lead sponsors of the Baby Food Safety Act, responded to a Consumer Reports' investigation which revealed high levels of the neurotoxin inorganic arsenic in 3 popular rice cereal baby foods. While the products contained high levels of arsenic, ranging from 54-77 parts per billion (ppb), they still fell below the lenient maximum level of 100ppb set by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Recent research has found that for every 50% arsenic consumption levels increase, there is a subsequent decrease of approximately 0.4 in the intelligence quotient (IQ) of children ages 5-15 years. Under the Baby Food Safety Act, FDA-allowed levels of arsenic would be reduced to the safer level of 15ppb.

"My investigation revealed the dangerous levels of neurotoxins in baby food last year and it's unfortunate that Consumer Reports' investigation has shown that far too little has changed," said Chairman Raja Krishnamoorthi. "I'm proud to join with my co-leads in reaffirming the importance of passing the Baby Food Safety Act to tighten our safety standards for the food our children eat, while also educating parents on the issue and investing in research to help bring more safe and affordable baby foods to market."

"It's unacceptable that despite parents' best efforts to keep their children safe, some leading baby food manufacturers have put products on the market that expose children to dangerous toxins. These findings underscore the need to pass our legislation to protect children and ensure they get a healthy start. I'll keep fighting to hold manufacturers accountable and give parents the peace of mind they deserve," said Senator Klobuchar.

"Parents deserve the peace of mind knowing that the baby and toddler food they purchase is safe, nutritious and free of harmful contents," said Senator Duckworth. "The latest information from Consumer Reports about the presence of toxic heavy metals in baby foods is troubling, and it's one of the reasons why I helped Senator Klobuchar, Congressman Krishnamoorthi, and Congressman Cárdenas introduce the Baby Food Safety Act last year. I'll continue working with my colleagues in Congress and with those in the FDA to make sure what we feed our children will help them grow up safe and healthy."

"It is absolutely horrifying that trusted baby food brands are knowingly selling contaminated products and jeopardizing the health and safety of our children," said Congressman Cárdenas. "No parent should have to worry about whether the baby food on grocery shelves contains toxic metals. Today's report only underscores the dire need to protect our babies and hold manufacturers accountable. For our kids' sake, we must pass the Baby Food Safety Act."

The Baby Food Safety Act was introduced in the House and Senate in March of 2021 and would dramatically reduce toxic heavy metals in baby food, educate parents about the risks, and invest in cutting edge farming technology to reduce any economic barriers to making baby food safe for consumption. The bill text can be viewed here, a one page summary can be viewed here, a section by section review here, and a list of endorsements here.

In its investigation, Consumer Reports found the following results for the three leading baby food products it tested:

Gerber Single-Grain Rice Cereal: Three samples tested contained approximately 60 - 65 ppb of total inorganic arsenic.
Earth's Best Organic Rice Cereal: Three samples tested contained approximately 60 - 77 ppb of total inorganic arsenic.
Gerber Organic Single-Grain Rice Cereal: Three samples tested contained approximately 54 - 69 ppb of total inorganic arsenic.
Consumer Reports purchased 3 samples of each product, in December 2021 and January 2022. The 3 samples of the Gerber Single-Grain Rice Cereal and the Earth's Best Organic Rice Cereal each had a unique lot code, while the 3 samples of the Gerber Organic Single-Grain Rice Cereal were from 2 unique lots. The samples were masked, blind coded, and shipped to a contract laboratory for the analyses. While these results were within the FDA 100 ppb action level for total inorganic arsenic in infant rice cereals, the average in all the products is still high, and more than four times the 15 ppb limit for cereal that would be allowed if the Baby Food Safety Act.