Roughly 20 percent of baby food samples showed detectable levels of lead, says a report out by the nonprofit Environmental Defense Fund.
“The group evaluated data collected by the Food and Drug Administration from 2003 to 2013. This included 2,164 baby food samples. They found 89 percent of grape juice samples, 86 percent of sweet potatoes samples, and 47 percent of teething biscuits samples contained detectable levels of lead,” says NPR.
“The levels we found were relatively low, but when you add them up—with all the foods children eat … it’s significant,” says study author Tom Neltner of the Environmental Defense Fund.
None of the levels exceeded FDA guidelines, but the agency is in the process of reviewing its standards given new science that shows no amount of lead is safe for children. In a study, the Centers for Disease Control determined that “even low levels of lead in blood have been shown to affect IQ, ability to pay attention, and academic achievement. And effects of lead exposure cannot be corrected.”