According to the Daily Mail, food jars and
powdered milk contain less than one-fifth of the recommended daily dose of
calcium, magnesium, zinc, iron, and other minerals. These nutrients are crucial
to the growth and development of children.
Scientists have found that meat preparations
contain only three percent of the recommended daily calcium dose, and those
produced from vegetables have 7% zinc and 6% iron.
Experts say baby food makers are not subject to
rules as stringent as those imposed on companies that make adult foods.
All foods for infants and young children
analyzed by public health directorates contain nitrates, lead, cadmium, tin,
but in concentrations below the maximum allowable limit, according to a recent
study.
Foods for infants and young children also contain aluminum, nitrites,
mercury, substances that can be added in any quantity, in the absence of legal
regulations setting maximum admissible limits for their presence in these
products.
It remains to be determined in time if these contaminants in baby
food and children, although conforming, can become health-enhancing, draw the
attention of the authors of the study.
The National Institute of Public Health
recently published the results of the national study entitled 'Evaluation of
the Chemical and Bacteriological Risk of Foods with Special Nutrition Purpose'.
For the purpose of this study, 41 public health
departments in the country sent data from each county for the determination of
nitrates, nitrites, heavy metals, pesticide residues in infant formulas (milk,
infant formulas and follow-on formulas, baby food and children food, and
processed cereal-based foods).
Here's what doctors found in baby food and kids food.
Determination of aluminum from products
specially formulated for food with special nutrition (powdered milk, starter
formulas and follow-on formulas, processed cereal-based foods, and infant and
young-age foods ) indicates an average of 0, 1523 mg/kg and maximum values of
0.98 mg/kg.
All foods for special nutrition intended for
infants and young children analyzed contain contaminants:
l nitrates
l lead
l cadmium
l mercury
l tin
With the exception of mercury, the remainder of
the heavy metals listed above are in concentrations below the maximum allowable
limit.
The mercury level in the special nutrition food
analyzed is below the detection limit (0.0005 mg / kg) in all analyzed samples.
There are no legal regulations setting maximum allowable limits for the mercury
concentration in foods for babies and young children, say the authors of the
study.
The analysis of trends in nitrate concentrations
determined from special nutritional foods between 2013 and 2015 shows that the
highest average nitrate levels were recorded in products taken and analyzed in
2015, with the statement that all samples were in compliance, say the authors
of the study.
Data analysis shows that in 2015 there have been
found the highest average of nitrate, lead, cadmium, and tin in baby food and
young children food, since 2013, as well as a decrease in the average mercury
content in food for babies and children, analyzed by the Public Health
Directorates.
It remains to be established over time if these
concentrations of contaminants, although conforming, can become detrimental to
health, draw attention the authors of the study.
The nitrite concentrations in the analyzed foods
were on average of 2.21 mg nitrite per kg with values ranging from 0 to 21
mg/kg of nitrite. Physicians who conducted the study warn that there are no
regulations on the maximum permitted nitrite limit in foods for babies and
young children.
The nitrate concentration of foods for infants
and young children analyzed is below the maximum admissible limit of 200 mg
nitrates/kg. On average, the analyzed foods have 18.78 mg/kg of nitrates.
Your Baby Food Might Have Lead In It—Here's What You Need To Know
An international study has shown that 20% of the
baby food contain lead traces - a higher amount than found in all other foods,
Time.com reports.
The US Environmental Defense Fund have analyzed
for more than 10 years, since 2003, the data from the Food and Drug
Administration as part of the Total Diet Study.
The study identified traces of lead in 14% of
all baby food samples.
'While we evaluated all types of food collected
by the FDA, we focused on food types for babies and children because infants
are the most vulnerable,' the report said.
Experts found that at least one sample of the 52
types of baby food had detectable levels of lead. Baby foods containing apple,
grape, or carrots, or juices, had more detectable levels of lead than regular
food, according to the report.
Lead in grape juice is most often found, with
89% of the samples showing detectable levels.
Other fruit juices and foods containing root
vegetables come second, with 86% of lead-containing baby food samples.
Exposure to very small amounts of lead is
harmless, but if the baby often comes in contact with this metal, regardless of
its origin (water contaminated with lead, toys made of lead, baby food that
might have lead, pencils, and so forth), then he may develop lead poisoning,
and his life can be in danger!
The symptom of lead intoxication depends on the
extent to which the child has been exposed to it. There are some mild
manifestations of moderate lead exposure:
l lack of appetite
l abdominal pain
l constipation
l anemia
l fatigue
l sleep problems
l irritability
l headaches
The side effects of exposure to large amounts of
lead may occur in babies and children through severe symptoms of:
l vomiting
l diarrhea
l coma
l convulsions
l learning and behavioral problems
l damage to the nervous system and brain
l slower growth
l hearing problems
l increased aggression
A very high exposure to lead can produce, in
very rare cases though, death!
In conclusion, a smart thing to do when having a
baby is to take care of his health. Therefore, you should only fed him with
food that you prepare, no matter how tired you are or how time-pressed you are.
