"Is There Lead In Your Baby Food?" - Maggie Fox and Erika Edwards

There's at least a little bit of lead in some baby food on the U.S. market, an environmental group found. But the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) says it's time for the Food and Drug Administration and food manufacturers to get all the lead out of food, especially baby food. Lead is extremely toxic and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says there is no known safe level of lead for anyone to eat, drink or breathe in. Still, parents have other, more important sources to worry about, said Phil Landrigan, MD, MSc, professor of environmental medicine and public health at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. "Lead paint is still the Number 1 source of exposure in this country by a wide margin, the authors acknowledge that," Dr. Landrigan said. Maida Galvez MD, MPH, an associate professor of preventive medicine and pediatrics and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, said the report's findings are frustrating and offer little guidance to the average parent. "The message to families should not be 'avoid these foods'. Rather, ensure a variety of food for your children. Eat fresh when possible. In general, if you eat more fresh versus processed foods, your level of exposure to a range of environmental chemicals will be lower." The FDA says it is taking another look at how it measures lead in food.

- Philip Landrigan, MD, MSc, Professor, Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Pediatrics, Dean for Global Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
- Maida Galvez, MD, MPH, Associate Professor, Preventive Medicine, Pediatrics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

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