I
t takes a special kind of person to willingly and knowingly give newborns toxic food.
The presence of heavy metals in infant formulas has been a long-standing cause for concern. Even back in 1988, researchers discovered that aluminum contaminated many formulas, though some more than others. This early study noted that in human breast milk, aluminum appeared in fairly low amounts – about 50 micrograms per liter.
Researchers from the University of Alberta discovered that highly processed formulas, such as soy formula, preterm infant formula and formulas for specific metabolic disorders, contained up to 2,346 micrograms per liter.
According to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), the EPA’s current limits on aluminum in drinking water are between 0.05 milligrams and 0.2 milligrams per liter. A limit of 0.2 milligrams equates to about 200 micrograms.
There is no FDA limit on the amount of aluminum that can be added to food or medicine – which is why even though there is a limit on what is allowed in water, there is no limit on what can be present in baby formula.