\u201cOperation Stork Speed,\u201d launched Tuesday by HHS and the FDA, will require increased testing for heavy metals and other contaminants in infant formula. The initiative also includes a nutrient review process and encourages manufacturers to improve product labeling and develop new products.<\/p>\n
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After a meeting Tuesday with leading\u00a0U.S. infant formula makers<\/a>, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced plans to make sure baby formula is safe, has the necessary ingredients and is free of contaminants.<\/p>\n The new initiative, \u201cOperation Stork Speed<\/a>,\u201d to be administered jointly by HHS and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), will require increased testing for heavy metals and other contaminants, initiate a nutrient review process and encourage manufacturers to improve product labeling.<\/p>\n HHS launched the initiative on the same day\u00a0Consumer Reports<\/a>\u00a0published the results of an investigation that found significant levels of contaminants including lead and arsenic in many commercially available baby formulas.<\/p>\n According to HHS, Operation Stork Speed will include the \u201cfirst comprehensive update and review of infant formula nutrients by the FDA since 1998.\u201d<\/p>\n The initiative also encourages companies to develop new infant formula products.<\/p>\n In a statement, Kennedy said, \u201cThe FDA will use all resources and authorities at its disposal to make sure infant formula products are safe and wholesome for the families and children who rely on them.\u201d<\/p>\n In a statement provided to\u00a0The Defender<\/a>, Emily G. Hilliard, HHS deputy press secretary, said the FDA has already launched \u201ca targeted survey\u201d of infant formula and is currently testing approximately 340 samples of a variety of infant formulas for contaminants including arsenic, cadmium, lead and mercury.<\/p>\n Diana Zuckerman, Ph.D., president of the\u00a0National Center for Health Research<\/a>, called Operation Stork Speed \u201can important step forward,\u201d amid concerns about infant formula.<\/p>\n \u201cThe presence of lead, arsenic and hormone-disrupting chemicals such as\u00a0PFAS \u2018forever chemicals\u2019<\/a>\u00a0needs to be addressed, and the new Consumer Reports investigation of dozens of infant formulas shows that this is still an important problem,\u201d Zuckerman said.<\/p>\n Teresa Murray, consumer watchdog director for the\u00a0U.S. Public Interest Research Group<\/a>, said baby formula safety concerns extend beyond just children\u2019s health.<\/p>\n \u201cWe welcome any efforts to make infant formula and baby food safer for children and anyone else. It\u2019s important to remember that it\u2019s not just children who rely on these products. Infant formula is sometimes prescribed for adults with disabilities or certain medical conditions because of the high nutritional value,\u201d Murray said.<\/p>\n \u201cIf the regulations were adequate, we wouldn\u2019t be seeing all of these problems,\u201d Murray added.<\/p>\n Kendall Mackintosh<\/a>, a board-certified nutrition specialist and member of the \u201cMAHA Moms\u201d movement, called the initiative \u201can absolutely critical and long-overdue step.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFor years, parents have been raising concerns about the\u00a0toxicity<\/a>\u00a0of commercial baby formulas, from\u00a0excessive sugar<\/a>\u00a0and seed oils to synthetic additives that do not belong in an infant\u2019s diet,\u201d Mackintosh said.<\/p>\n Consumer Reports finds some baby formulas contaminated with heavy metals<\/strong><\/p>\n Consumer Reports tested\u00a041 powdered infant formulas<\/a>. The results, shared with the FDA, indicated that while most of the baby formulas tested did not contain high levels of contaminants, some contained \u201cpotentially harmful levels of arsenic and lead<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n The tests also found per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, in almost all the products tested. One product contained\u00a0bisphenol A (BPA)<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0acrylamide<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 both possible carcinogens.<\/p>\n \u201cOur tests found that some infant formulas had concerning levels of arsenic and lead that could pose\u00a0health risks<\/a>\u00a0for young children,\u201d said James Rogers, director of product safety testing at Consumer Reports.<\/p>\n \u201cThe good news is that most of the samples we tested did not pose these risks, demonstrating that it\u2019s possible to produce baby formula without these dangerous contaminants.\u201d<\/p>\n Brian Ronholm, director of\u00a0food policy<\/a>\u00a0at Consumer Reports, called on the FDA to dedicate sufficient resources to Operation Stork Speed. He said:<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s very encouraging to see the FDA issue this announcement after Consumer Reports shared our findings about contaminants in infant formula. \u2026 We look forward to seeing the details of how they intend to implement the plan, and we hope the FDA is provided adequate resources and staffing to actually follow through with these promises.\u201d<\/p>\n Sayer Ji<\/a>, chairman and co-founder of the\u00a0Global Wellness Forum<\/a>\u00a0and co-founder of\u00a0Stand for Health Freedom<\/a>, said the Consumer Reports tests \u201care a wake-up call.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThis confirms what many health advocates have been saying for years: the food system, including baby formula, requires far more rigorous safety testing and accountability,\u201d Ji said.<\/p>\n In her statement, Hilliard said the FDA\u2019s ongoing survey of infant formula has already tested 221 samples. The results \u201cdo not indicate that the contaminants are present in infant formula at levels that would trigger a public health concern.\u201d<\/p>\n According to Hilliard\u2019s statement, the\u00a0FDA Total Diet Study<\/a>\u00a0(TDS), which monitors levels of nutrients and contaminants in foods consumed by people in the U.S., including infant formula, found \u201cthe majority of the limited set of TDS samples of infant formula contained low or no detectable levels of lead, total arsenic and cadmium.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThere were no detectable levels of PFAS in infant formula from the limited TDS data where infant formula was analyzed for PFAS. In two previous FDA surveys of individual food products for\u00a0acrylamide<\/a>, there were no detectable levels of acrylamide found in infant formula,\u201d Hilliard said.<\/p>\n Other recent studies have indicated high levels of contaminants in baby formula.<\/p>\n A\u00a02024 study by GMOScience<\/a>\u00a0and Moms Across America tested samples from 20 formulas made by well-known brands. All samples\u00a0tested positive for aluminum and lead<\/a>. Some formulas contained high arsenic, cadmium and mercury levels, while 35% of those sampled contained all the heavy metals tested.<\/p>\n A 2023\u00a0Imperial College London investigation<\/a>\u00a0found that nearly three-quarters of baby formula products that claimed at least one health benefit did not cite a supporting study.<\/p>\n A study published in the\u00a0American Journal of Clinical Nutrition<\/a>\u00a0in 2022 found that nearly half of baby formula products available in the U.S.\u00a0contained corn syrup<\/a>. Babies who were fed those formulas had a higher risk of obesity compared to babies who were given lactose-based formulas.<\/p>\n In 2022, an outbreak of\u00a0Cronobacter infections<\/a>\u00a0was linked to\u00a0infant formula<\/a>, leading\u00a0Abbott Nutrition to recall its products<\/a>, including the popular brand Similac. The FDA subsequently ordered the temporary closure of Abbott\u2019s Michigan facility.<\/p>\n These actions sparked a nationwide\u00a0baby formula shortage<\/a>, lawsuits against\u00a0Abbott\u00a0<\/a>and a\u00a0congressional investigation<\/a>. Last year,\u00a0Abbott was ordered to pay $495 million<\/a>\u00a0in a lawsuit concerning an Illinois girl who developed a dangerous bowel disease after consuming contaminated baby formula.<\/p>\n The\u00a0HHS said<\/a>\u00a0the FDA will collaborate with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and \u201cother scientific bodies\u201d to address \u201cresearch gaps\u201d regarding the short-term and long-term health impacts of baby formula.<\/p>\n Current FDA baby formula standards \u2018outdated and favor large corporations\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n In her statement, Hilliard said, \u201cInfant formula manufacturers are required under the\u00a0Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act<\/a>\u00a0and its implementing regulations to ensure that their products are not adulterated with contaminants.\u201d<\/p>\n But some food safety advocates said they hope that Operation Stork Speed will include a revamp of existing regulations governing the safety of baby food products.<\/p>\n \u201cThe FDA\u2019s current standards are outdated and favor large corporations, rather than prioritizing the actual nutritional needs of infants,\u201d Mackintosh said. She pointed to current regulations that allow seed oils and industrial additives, do not set limits on sugar and carbohydrate content and do not require transparency on ingredient sourcing.<\/p>\n Mackintosh also cited the presence of synthetic additives and preservatives,\u00a0glyphosate<\/a>\u00a0and excess\u00a0omega-6 fatty acids<\/a>\u00a0in baby formula as areas of concern.<\/p>\n A\u00a02018 study by Moms Across America<\/a>\u00a0also found high levels of glyphosate in baby formula samples.<\/p>\n Science journalist\u00a0Nina Teicholz, Ph.D.<\/a>, founder of the\u00a0Nutrition Coalition<\/a>, said the \u201cwidespread use of soybean oil, corn syrup and even sucrose,\u201d or table sugar, in baby formula, raises concerns about the health benefits of these products.<\/p>\n \u201cNone of these ingredients are natural or healthy for babies,\u201d Teicholz said. \u201cThey put babies at a higher risk for obesity, diabetes and other chronic diseases.\u201d<\/p>\n Jaydee Hanson, policy director at the\u00a0Center for Food Safety<\/a>, said baby formula manufacturers should \u201ctest regularly and thoroughly\u201d for heavy metals and pathogens.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have tested formulas for the presence of nanochemicals. We found that nearly every infant formula company\u2019s products contain nano-scale chemicals that the FDA has not been notified of,\u201d Hanson said.<\/p>\n \u201cInspections at manufacturing facilities must be thorough and frequent, and evidence of any contamination that takes place there must be immediately investigated and eliminated,\u201d Zuckerman said.<\/p>\n Hanson called on the FDA to remove formulas containing nanochemicals from the market, particularly\u00a0nano-hydroxyapatite<\/a>, which he said is \u201ctantamount to feeding babies asbestos.\u201d<\/p>\n He also said the FDA should \u201crespond promptly to any notification of adulterated formula or formulas on the market that have not been approved.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t<\/div>\n