Consumer Report Shines Spotlight On ‘Organic’ Kids Snack
A recent study by Consumer Reports has brought to light alarming findings regarding the presence of elevated lead levels in two popular brands of kids’ snacks, even as federal standards for heavy metal content in many baby foods remain undeveloped.
The FDA has established limits for heavy metals in infant rice cereal and juice but is still working on setting standards for other categories of baby foods. This regulatory gap has raised concerns among parents and health advocates.
Tamara Rubin, owner of Lead Safe Mama, has been a vocal advocate for preventing lead poisoning and raising awareness about sources of lead exposure. Rubin’s attention to this issue gained traction when she highlighted the presence of lead in Stanley tumblers. More recently, she focused on cassava-based snacks, such as Serenity Kids puffs, which prompted Consumer Reports to test four cassava products from LesserEvil and Serenity Kids, as well as two sorghum-based products from Once Upon a Farm.
Consumer Reports’ findings were unsettling. LesserEvil’s Lil’ Puffs Intergalactic Voyager Veggie Blend puffs were found to contain “more lead per serving than any of the 80 baby foods” tested by Consumer Reports since 2017. The lead content in these puffs was 112% of the maximum allowable dose levels (MADLs) established by California Proposition 65. James E. Rogers, Ph.D., head of food safety testing at Consumer Reports, advised that children should consume less than half of a serving of these puffs per day due to the high lead content.
Other products, such as LesserEvil’s Lil’ Puffs Sweet Potato Apple Asteroid and Serenity Kids’ Tomato & Herb Bone Broth puffs, also showed elevated lead levels. The Asteroid puffs contained lead levels at 60% of the MADLs, while the Tomato & Herb puffs had lead levels at 53%. Rogers recommended limiting children to 1 ½ servings of these puffs per day.
The serving sizes for these snacks are smaller than many parents might expect. For instance, a single serving of Intergalactic Voyager Veggie Blend is 17 puffs, while Serenity Kids puffs are sold in a 1 ½ ounce container with six servings.
On a positive note, Once Upon a Farm products tested had “very low” levels of lead, among the lowest Consumer Reports has ever tested for baby food.
“Clearly, some manufacturers need to do a better job of keeping heavy metals out of their snack foods, and there may be some particular concerns about foods made with cassava,” Rogers stated. He acknowledged that the FDA has proposed limits on lead and other heavy metals in some baby food categories but noted that snack foods are not currently included.
The company LesserEvil did not respond to FOX Business’ request for comment on the lead levels in their products. However, Jennie Shen, director of brand marketing for Serenity Kids, defended their products, stating that they consistently test below the MADLs established by California Proposition 65. Shen emphasized that Serenity Kids adheres to stringent testing protocols and works with suppliers to ensure the lowest achievable levels of contaminants in their products.
Shen explained that heavy metals like lead are prevalent in the food system, particularly in root vegetables such as cassava, sweet potatoes, carrots, and beets, which can naturally accumulate lead from the soil. Cassava, when processed into flour and baked into snack foods, can concentrate lead levels even further.
To mitigate these risks, Serenity Kids employs rigorous testing and quality assurance programs. They carefully vet all suppliers to ensure the cleanest possible ingredients, prioritizing those with the lowest levels of contaminants.