KEYC

By Aaron Stuve

WASHINGTON (KEYC) -In 2023 three brands of applesauce pouches were recalled after high amounts of lead was detected in children who had consumed them.

Now new legislation aims to raise safety standards for food made for babies and toddlers.

The Baby Food Safety Act of 2024 was introduced in the U.S. Senate by Minnesota’s Amy Klobuchar (D) alongside Tammy Duckworth (D) of Illinois.

The law would restrict the legal amounts of metals in baby and toddler food as well as expand the sampling and testing processes in hopes of catching contaminants before the food hits store shelves.

“Right now the FDA has no established limits for acceptable levels of lead and other heavy metals in baby food, and even if they had established limits, the agency could not have clear authority to enforce the higher standards. So that needs to be changed,” Klobuchar said.

Pediatricians said that heavy metals can have significant long-term effects on children exposed to them.

Those doctors also said that lead is difficult to detect in babies’ bodies, and that parents should take their children in to get screened in routine checkups.

“Lead is toxic to the developing brain. There is no natural role that lead plays in the body and any family that is concerned that their child has been exposed or has symptoms of lead poisoning can contact their child’s healthcare provider for lead testing,” said Dr. Gigi Chawla, Chief of General Pediatrics for Children’s Minnesota.