The organisation Consumer Reports (CR) has published its findings on whether baby formula is contaminated with toxic chemicals. The report offers key insights into a variety of brands and contaminants, highlighting which products are polluted and which are safe. As an independent non-profit, CR plays a central role in monitoring corporate practices and advocating for transparency and consumer safety.
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While CR works to inform the public, regulation falls under EU Commission Regulation 2023/915, which sets limits for toxins such as lead, cadmium, mercury, and arsenic. Member States are responsible for enforcement through monitoring programmes, although CR’s findings suggest that significant gaps remain.
The study confirms CR’s commitment to informing consumers about which products to avoid. It found that 50% of baby formula samples contained low or undetectable levels of toxins; however, many still present worrying substances.
Beyond its reporting role, CR also influences regulatory developments — a fact that became evident with the announcement of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) about a new initiative to strengthen oversight of the baby formula industry just one day after CR’s test results were published. The initiative includes increased testing for heavy metals and other toxins.
As part of this work, CR points out that the FDA has not set any limits for arsenic in baby formula, despite drinking water being regulated to contain no more than 10 parts per billion (ppb). A threshold that if applied to baby formula would have been almost doubled by “Abbott Nutrition’s EleCare Hypoallergenic”. However, since no official threshold exists, CR calculated a hazard quotient to estimate the level below which no adverse health effects would be expected to occur when consuming an average amount each day. The analysis showed that 7 out of 41 formulas could negatively affect infant health.
In addition, lead contamination was found in nearly all the formulas tested. However, once again no threshold for lead in formula exists - driving CR to use the most protective standard available, the “Maximum Allowable Dose Level”. According to this standard, 18 formulas would fall within acceptable limits. Other substances, such as BPA and acrylamide, were found, but their levels were significantly lower than the more concerning contaminants like lead and arsenic.
Overall, the findings demonstrate that safer baby formulas are available. Nonetheless, CR urges continued accountability from both manufacturers and regulators. A call for transparency and consumer protection is needed, these results are the first step to make informed choices while pushing the industry towards safer products.
More information available at:
The full report at this link
The EU Commission Regulation at this link