Arsenic, toxic metals found in baby food including Walmart, Gerber, Beech-Nut brands, according to new report
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A congressional investigation has found levels of arsenic, lead and other toxic metals that can harm brain development in many popular baby foods, including organic brands.
In a report released Thursday, a U.S. House Subcommittee said it requested internal data from seven companies, including Walmart, in 2019 after a nonprofit called Healthy Babies Bright Futures published results of testing it did on baby foods.
Four of the companies - Gerber, Beech-Nut, Earth's Best Organics maker Hain Celestial and Happy Family Organics maker Nurture Inc. - shared documents. The subcommittee said Walmart, Sprout Foods and Campbell Soup Co., which makes Plum Organics baby food, didn't cooperate.
Arsenic, lead, cadmium and mercury - metals that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration considers harmful to human health - can remain in the environment for decades from past pesticide and herbicide use, according to Michael Hansen, a senior staff scientist with Consumer Reports.
