65 percent of infant formula, baby food tests positive for arsenic study finds

Gerber one of worst offenders

SAN ANTONIO – The Clean Label Project screened 500 infant formula and baby food products from 60 brands and found that 65 percent of them contained arsenic.

A third-party analytical chemistry laboratory tested the products for more than 130 toxins, including heavy metals, BPA, pesticides and other cancer-linked chemicals.

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Of the baby products tested, 65 percent contained arsenic, 36 percent contained lead, 58 percent contained cadmium and 10 percent contained acrylamides.

The highest concentration of cadmium, a metal found in batteries, was found in soy-based infant formulas.

Acrylamide is a chemical created during manufacturing linked to brain damage, cancer and reproductive harm, according to the Clean Label Project.

Gerber was one of the worst offenders with at least one product in the bottom five in every category except infant formulas.

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The top five and bottom five products in each category can be found here.

The following infant companies had formulas and baby foods tested in the study:

365 Everyday Value, Abbott, Amara, Annie’s Homegrown, Babie’s “R” Us, Baby Mum-Mum, Baby’s Only, Bambino’s, Beech-Nut, Comforts for Baby, Comforts for Toddler, Doctor Rachs, Earth’s Best, Ella’s Kitchen, Enfagrow, Enfamil, Gerber, Happy Baby, Happy Tot, Healthy Times, Holle, Kabrita, Kellogg’s, Kiddylicious, Kidfresh, Kirkland, Little Duck ORganics, Member’s Mark, Mom to Mom, Nestle, Nosh!, Nursery, NurturMe, Nutramigen, Nutricia Neocate, O Organics, Orgain, Organix, OrgaNums, Parent’s Choice, Peaceful Planet, Pedialyte, PediaSmart!, PediaSure, PediaVance, Plum Organics, Pregestimil, Pumpkin Tree, Pure Spoon, Similac, Simple Truth Organic, Smuckers, Sprout, Sweetie Pie ORganics, The Honest Co., Up & Up, Vermont Organics and Yummy Spoonfuls.