FDA redefines what foods can be labeled as ‘healthy’
Foods will be required to contain certain ingredients and be under specific limits for added sugar, saturated fat and sodium to be marketed as “healthy.”
Scripps News
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration will buckle down on testing baby formulas for contaminates including heavy metals, the agency announced this week.
In a statement issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on Tuesday,HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Acting FDA Commissioner Dr. Sara Brenner said both agencies were committed to increasing testing for the presence of substances like arsenic, lead and mercury, which are all considered heavy metals. The plan is called “Operation Stork Speed.”
“The FDA will use all resources and authorities at its disposal to make sure infant formula products are safe and wholesome for the families and children who rely on them,” Kennedy, who promised a review of this topic on his road to becoming health secretary, said in the statement. Kennedy met with major formula manufacturers including the makers of Enfamil and Similac before issuing the announcement, HHS said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
While some such contaminates are naturally occurring in the environment and are not inherently toxic in certain doses, a Consumer Reports investigation also published Tuesday raised alarms when it found several tested baby formulas to contain potentially harmful levels of lead and arsenic as well as per-and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAs), bisphenol A (BPA) and Acrylamide.
These chemicals, sometimes used as pesticides or in the production of plastics, are regulated by the FDA due to their ability to cause health issues in high doses, especially in infants and younger children.
In response to the HHS announcement, Brian Ronholm, head of food policy for Consumer Reports said in a statement, “It’s very encouraging to see the FDA issue this announcement immediately after Consumer Reports shared our findings about contaminants in infant formula.
I look forward to seeing the details of how they intend to implement the plan, and we hope the FDA is provided adequate resources and staffing to actually follow through on their promises,” he continued.
In February, the FDA was hit with mass firings as part of Department of Government Efficiency cuts to the federal workforce, many of which targeted those who oversaw food safety initiatives. A week later, many were re-hired.
FDA will evaluate formulas on top of testing
Besides increasing testing, the FDA and HHS will also review nutritional standards for baby formulas, evaluating them for nutritional adequacy and formula quality. The agencies said they also seek greater transparency from formula makers, encouraging companies to develop new infant formulas and “clarify opportunities to help inform consumers about formula ingredients.”
“The FDA is deeply committed to ensuring that moms and other caregivers of infants and young children and other individuals who rely on infant formula for their nutritional needs have confidence that these products are safe, consistently available, and contain the nutrients essential to promote health and wellbeing during critical stages of development and life,” Brenner said in a statement.
One expert told Bloomberg that reducing the presence of some of the substances may be hard, if not impossible, but that a comprehensive review and improved oversight are still important to make improvements.
“To get to zero exposure would be very, very tough because all these things are found in soy and rice and lipids — all the materials that make up protein,” Josef Neu, a professor of pediatrics and neonatology at the University of Florida’s College of Medicine, told Bloomberg. “That being said, I’m always concerned about any kind of toxins that we might be feeding the baby if it’s breast milk, donor milk, formula. I think that the companies should really be looking at this.”
Contributing: Betty Lin-Fisher, USA TODAY