The Food and Drug Administration’s chairman encouraged Congress to enact legislation requiring food manufacturers to test their products for lead and other dangerous contaminants.
On Thursday, the House Committee of Oversight and Accountability’s ranking member, Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD), asked the FDA what it plans to do about a number of products, including the lead-contaminated cinnamon applesauce pouches that made many children sick. As a father, Raskin stated that his children ate a lot of cinnamon applesauce when they were younger, and he wanted to know what Dr. Robert Califf, the FDA chairman, and the FDA planned to do to regulate these items.
“What keeps you from inspecting every private manufacturing facility that produces things like cinnamon applesauce or peanut butter?” Raskin asked.
Using a sports analogy, California stated that when it comes to these issues, congressional leaders are the players and the FDA is the referee.
“I think the best way to think about the FDA in general is that we’re referees,” California said. “In Congress, you all write the rules, just like in any sport. The leadership drafts the rules, and we implement them. And, as with most sports, the first line of defense for food outlets are the players in the game, which are the industries that manufacture the products.”
Califf stated that in order to keep hazardous chemicals and metals out of children’s food, producers must begin testing their goods in the same way that the pharmaceutical sector does.
“The manufacturers of drugs have to test every batch, and in the case of cinnamon applesauce, if there had been mandatory testing when it got imported into the US from Ecuador, where the stores were selling it, it probably would’ve picked it up at that point,” he said.
California lobbied for obligatory testing of certain children’s food products and granted the FDA the regulatory authority to do so.
Consumer Reports urges USDA to remove Lunchables from school menus over lead concerns
The FDA chairman recently responded to concerns raised by Consumer Reports regarding Lunchables in the National School Lunch Program. In a statement, he addressed the issue of higher levels of sodium and high levels of lead found in the food kits, which prompted calls for their removal by the USDA.
According to Consumer Reports, director of food policy Brian Ronholm argues that Lunchables should not be considered a healthy option for children and should not be included in the National School Lunch Program’s menu. In a press release, Ronholm stated, “The Lunchables and similar lunch kits we tested contain worrisome amounts of sodium and potentially harmful chemicals that can have long-term health consequences.” Consumer Reports has even gone as far as launching a petition to the USDA to address this issue.
WanaBana apple cinnamon fruit pouches recalled over lead contamination
The FDA chairman also noted the October 2023 recall of WanaBana apple cinnamon fruit pouches, which harmed almost 400 children in nearly all 50 states.
On February 6th, the FDA made an announcement stating that the applesauce pouches were found to contain lead. The presence of lead in these pouches was traced back to a single cinnamon processor.
In previous FDA testing, it was discovered that the cinnamon samples used in WanaBana apple cinnamon fruit pouches contained not only elevated levels of lead but also the element chromium.
Coalition of attorney generals fight for regulation of lead, other toxins in children’s food
The plea from the FDA chairman regarding lead testing resonates with attorney generals in various states across the United States, who have joined forces in a coalition. This coalition, comprised of 20 attorney generals, recently sent a letter to the FDA on February 15th, urging them to swiftly address the issue of lead and other toxic metals in baby food in order to safeguard the health of infants and children.
The coalition made a petition to the FDA in October 2021, urging the agency to provide clear guidance to the baby food industry. The guidance would mandate the testing of all children’s food products for lead and other toxic metals, as stated in the press release.
