Holly T. Shikada, attorney general of Hawaii, has joined forces with 22 other attorneys general from across the country in calling on the heads of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Department of Agriculture (USDA) to take swift action to eliminate toxic metals from baby food.
In a recent letter to FDA Commissioner Robert M. Califf, Deputy Commissioner Frank Yiannis and USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack, the coalition pointed to important steps for the federal agencies that would permit them to make quick and far-reaching moves intended to lower the amount of harmful toxic metals in food for infants and small children.
“The dangers of toxic metals such as lead, cadmium, mercury and others have been known for decades, but have not been adequately regulated in food for infants and young children,” Shikada said in the letter. “The FDA must take immediate action in setting acceptable standards to protect our children from the harmful effects of toxic metals.”
The measures are the latest in a series of actions taken in response to the alarm bells that recently went off pertaining to the health dangers created by the presence of lead, mercury, cadmium and arsenic in baby foods—including purees, cereals and other consumables for babies and young children, apart from formula.
Those joining Shikada in pushing for the policy assert that while the FDA has established or proposed limits on toxic metals in a wide variety of other consumable products—such as candy, juice and bottled water—the agency has failed to adequately make rules for baby food.