Contaminants in Baby Foods - Types and Management

Introduction

Many types of baby foods are available nowadays for infants. All these baby foods are considered to be very safe and effective. However, recent studies have shown that all baby foods contain at least one toxic chemical. Although the concentration of toxins is very less in baby foods, studies revealed that these toxins can cause contamination over time which may be dangerous for the health of the infants. The foundation for ideal health, growth, and neurodevelopment throughout the entire lifespan is laid during the first 1,000 days of life. If the infants get exposed to the toxins in the baby foods, it may affect their growth and development as these baby foods are consumed mostly during the initial 1000 days of life.

What Are the Possible Contaminants in Baby Foods?

During the studies, it was found that the concentration of contaminants was higher than expected. After testing, it was understood that lead, arsenic, mercury, bisphenol-A, acrylamide, etc., were present in most of the testing samples. Several types of infant food (meat, fish, vegetables, fruit, and cheese) were examined for the presence of persistent organic pollutants (POPs), perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), parabens, and antibiotics. Methylparaben, propylparaben, and acrylamide were detected in very few samples.

• Lead: Lead is an element that is rarely present in the natural environment. It is a toxic element and can cause lead poisoning. Lead in baby foods may cause serious conditions in children. FDA (Food and Drug Administration) suggests a safe level of lead exposure.

• Arsenic: It is naturally present in the earth’s crust and is distributed among air, water, and land. Arsenic poisoning can cause symptoms like vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, encephalopathy (a condition affecting brain function and structure), etc.

• Mercury: It is a very harmful metal that can cause poisoning that leads to fatal conditions. Mercury toxicity can cause symptoms such as tremors or uncontrollable shaking, numbness, double vision, seizures, etc.

• Bisphenol-A: It is a chemical compound that is commonly used for the manufacture of plastics. Bisphenol-A is considered toxic and can cause serious effects on the brain and prostate glands of infants.

• Acrylamide: It is an odorless, white, organic compound that is used for the manufacture of paper, dye, and other products. Acrylamide is both neurotoxic and carcinogenic. Exposure to acrylamide can harm the central and peripheral nervous system.

• Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs): They are organic substances that are considered a serious threat to humans and the environment. POPs are extremely toxic and can have adverse effects on reproductive, behavioral, developmental, endocrine, and neurologic health.

• Perfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS): They are synthetic or man-made compounds widely used for industrial and commercial purposes. Infants or young children exposed to PFAS are highly susceptible to hypertension, decreased vaccine response, increased cholesterol level, testicular or kidney cancer, etc.

What Are the Reasons For the Contamination of Baby Foods?

The main reason for the contamination of baby foods with heavy metals is that these metals are naturally present in the environment. In addition, human activity may bring them into the environment. Some foods absorb heavy metals when they are growing, resulting from harvesting, storing, handling, and manufacturing processes.

For instance, since the 1960s, BPA has been a component of numerous plastic items. Moreover, it can be found in the interior epoxy coating on several metal containers. The primary exposure risk arises from the tendency of some acidic meals to leak BPA into the food through the food packaging. BPA may reach into food when food is heated in BPA-containing plastic containers.

How Can Toxins in Baby Foods Affect the Health of a Child?

The combination of several contaminants in baby foods puts infants at high risk for many serious conditions. It may have a serious impact on their mental and physical development. Following are the possible adverse effects of the contaminants in baby foods:

• Endocrine Disruption: Contaminants in baby foods can act as endocrine disruptors, which means they either mimic or interfere with the hormones in the body. Bisphenol-A and perfluoroalkyl substances are the common endocrine disruptors in baby food. Endocrine disruption in infants and children may result in problems with immunity, metabolism, reproduction, puberty, etc.

• Vision Problems: Exposure to the contaminants such as mercury can cause vision problems like double vision, blurriness, and even blindness in young children.

• Epilepsy: It is a disorder of the central nervous system where abnormality in brain activity causes episodes of seizures or unusual behavior. If the infants get exposed to chemical contaminants, their brain activity gets disrupted, resulting in epilepsy.

• Behavioral Problems: Persistent organic pollutants can affect a child’s behavioral development. Exposure to bisphenol-A and perfluoroalkyl substances may result in attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD- a common neurodevelopmental condition that affects a child’s ability to pay attention or control their behavior) in children.

• Decreased Vaccine Response: Children below the age of 5 years are given vaccines for many diseases. But if they get exposed to harmful contaminants like perfluoroalkyl substances, their vaccine response will be much less, which may decrease their resistance to diseases.

What Are the Measures to Avoid the Contaminants in Baby Foods?

The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) intends to maintain access to wholesome foods while drastically reducing the amount of toxins that infants get through their diet.

• Developing new and enhanced testing techniques to detect food pollutants at lower levels.

• Surveying the major foods consumed by infants and young children to determine the range of arsenic, lead, cadmium, and mercury amounts in these foods.

• Identifying methods to lower contamination levels in food goods in collaboration with federal partners.

• Monitoring dietary exposures to these contaminants and establishing reference levels for these contaminants to evaluate levels of concern.

• Analyzing consumption patterns for various groups.

• Analyzing how nutrients can help protect against the health impacts linked with contaminants.

Conclusion

Baby foods are usually considered safe and effective. However, after testing many samples, the presence of contaminants in baby foods was found to be more than expected. The common contaminants found in baby foods include lead, arsenic, mercury, bisphenol-A, perfluoroalkyl substances, acrylamide, persistent organic pollutants, etc. Although the presence of these contaminants is very minute, they can cause serious health effects. FDA (Food and Drug Administration) recommended guidelines to reduce the amount of contaminants in baby foods.