WASHINGTON - Ongoing food monitoring by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration of toxic heavy metals like lead, arsenic, cadmium, and mercury revealed some concerning levels in the U.S.
food supply — with certain baby foods having the most detectable levels of arsenic and lead.Such heavy metals can negatively affect a baby’s brain development and are among the most common metals that get into food, according to the U.S.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). These heavy metals are found naturally in the Earth's crust and are also released into the environment as pollution that gets into the water and soil used to grow food, according to the AAP.
The toxins can also get into food from food manufacturing and packaging. Exposure from all sources "should be minimized," the AAP states.The FDA’s Total Diet Study Report, released on July 15, summarizes the findings after sampling over 3,200 food and beverage products between the fiscal years 2018 through 2020.