By Sneha S K
April 29 (Reuters) – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday said samples of tested infant formula available in the country contained very low levels of contaminants, confirming that the nation’s supply of infant formula is safe for consumption.
The agency tested more than 300 samples across 16 infant formula brands sold nationwide.
It screened for contaminants including heavy metals such as arsenic, cadmium, lead and mercury, pesticides, synthetic chemicals, and phthalates.
The majority of samples had undetectable or very low levels of contaminants, the agency said.
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has pushed to reduce chemicals in food and launched a nutrient review of infant formula last year. As of February, the U.S. recorded 28 confirmed infant botulism cases linked to ByHeart formula — the first such outbreak tied to infant formula globally, the FDA had said.
While overall contaminant levels were low, some samples initiated additional testing, FDA said. The regulator tested powders, ready-to-feed liquids and concentrated liquids.
Mercury was not detected in 95% of samples, lead was not detected in 20% of samples, 99% of samples had no detectable pesticides and most PFAS compounds were not found.
The agency also tested a small number of human milk samples, finding that most contained at least one detectable contaminant, while 15% showed none.
Small amounts of contaminants can occur naturally in foods, including infant formula and breast milk, or enter through environmental exposure during production.
The U.S. health agencies last year announced Operation Stork Speed, an initiative to ensure the quality, safety and nutritional adequacy of domestic infant formula supply.
The FDA said it will continue testing and share results from follow-up surveys, while Secretary Kennedy will host a roundtable with industry executives in May.
“Producing infant formula at scale in the U.S. is a matter of national security, and these results affirm the safety of our domestic supply,” Abbott, maker of Similac, said on Wednesday, adding its U.S. formulas meet heavy metal limits set by the EPA, the European Commission and Health Canada.
(Reporting by Sneha S K in Bengaluru; Editing by Maju Samuel)
Comments