Warning: Harmful Ingredients Found In Baby Foods

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By Mia Bolaris-Forget

We all know the importance of a healthy diet, especially when it comes to infants and developing babies. But, when it comes to baby foods recent research revealed that some have been tainted with lead. Among the foods in question some apple juice, grape juice, packaged pears, peaches, and fruit cocktail. And, making matters worse, many of these products are among more traditional "healthier" options including many organic products and product lines. You can find a complete list on the Environmental Law Foundation Website.

The notices put forth by ELF suggest that the children's foods have enough lead in a single serving that they warrant a warning as per California's Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986, otherwise known as "Proposition 65"; with experts noting that the lead concentrations found in these children's foods are "alarming".

While lead tends to build up in our bodies over time due to various exposures from a variety of sources, scientists agree that there is really no safe level of exposure to lead. They add that it is particularly dangerous for children since they are still in a developmental stage and because their bodies tend to absorb the lead at a greater rate and because they have a higher sensitivity to its toxicity, including a lower I.Q. In addition lead increases risk among pregnant and nursing woman since it passes from mother to child and can potentially further compromise the health of the fetus or infant.

Lead is continually released into our environment due to decades of lead-based pesticide application, the use of leaded gasoline, lead paint, and the burning of coal in power plants.....allowing the lead to make its way into our food supply although not every food or food category contains lead.

In fact, experts note that some manufacturers have in fact avoided lead getting into their product and what they are doing to achieve this goal, is, in their opinion something that needs to be further explored.

In the meantime experts urge parents and care-givers to be careful and be cautious and they offer the following advice:

* Make smart and informed choices

* Do your homework and get your facts before buying

* Take a stand on demanding cleaner food and more extensive environmental health practices and policies.

Long Island Safety Articles > Warning: Harmful Ingredients Found In Baby Foods