On October 28, Congresswoman Gwen Moore along with 15 of her House colleagues, wrote a letter to the FDA to demand action after reports found that 95 percent of tested baby food had toxic chemicals, including arsenic and lead. Past research findings reveal that even mild exposure to toxic chemicals harmed baby’s neural development. Congresswoman Moore released the following statement: “The earliest years of a child’s life are significant times for cognitive development, making it critically important for babies to receive meals that promote brain development. These disturbing findings betray the trust of American families, who rely on baby’s food to provide adequate nutrition that benefits their wellbeing. The science is clear that these chemicals have harmful long term consequences for health and development. We owe it to American families everywhere to act swiftly and provide parents peace of mind. I, along with my colleagues, urged the FDA to keep children safe by completing ongoing rules regarding arsenic in rice, strengthen the agency’s efforts to protect the American public from these chemicals in baby foods, and respond to the recommendations made in the report by Healthy Babies Bright Futures.”
