USA TODAY: These baby foods and formulas tested positive for arsenic, lead and BPA in new study

by Ashley May / photo by Natalia Deriabina

A study released last week found many baby food products test positive for arsenic, including 80% of infant formulas. And, that's not the only dangerous contaminate found.

The Clean Label Project, a nonprofit advocating for transparent labeling, tested baby food, infant formulas, toddler drinks and snacks purchased within the past 5 months. The group, which did not publish findings in a peer-reviewed journal, looked at top-selling formulas and baby food using Nielsen data, and also included emerging national brands. After about 530 baby food products were tested, researchers found 65% of products tested positive for arsenic, 36% for lead, 58% for cadmium and 10% for acrylamide. All of these chemicals pose potential dangers to developing infants.

Jennifer Lowry, pediatrician and toxicologist at Children’s Mercy Kansas City, who is not affiliated with the research, said these chemicals can affect fine motor skills and cognition.

Mainstream brands including Gerber, Enfamil, Plum Organics and Sprout were among the worst offenders — scoring two out of five in the Clean Label Project's report card for toxic metals. Plus, 60% of products claiming to be "BPA free" tested positive for the industrial chemical bisphenol A. The quantities of contaminates range, but some products tested positive for up to 600 parts of arsenic per billion. That's far more than just trace amounts.

Read the full story via USA TODAY.

Learn more about the Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Toxicology and Therapeutic Innovation at Children's Mercy.