Parents have been advised to limit children's juice intake to protect them from sugar overdose, but now they may have a bigger worry about their kid's choice beverage. A study of juice and packaged fruit, including baby food, found an overwhelming amount of the toxic chemical lead in common products.
The Environmental Law Foundation tested several products in California, though many are sold nationally by companies. ELF sampled 398 products from 146 brands, categorized by apple juice, grape juice, packaged pears, packaged peaches and fruit cocktails. Some of the companies with lead-contaminated products include: Great Value, Gerber, Beech Nut, Earth's Best, Minute Maid, and Motts. The foundation's research found lead in those products that exceeded the legal levels. Lead in any amount is dangerous, especially for children and fetuses. It has been known to cause learning disabilities and neurological disorders.
ELF filed warning letters on June 9 to the companies found producing products marketed to children with high levels of lead, which violate California's Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986, Proposition 65. Those violating Prop. 65 had at least 0.5 micrograms of lead per serving.
National Public Radio noted that the results were worrisome because allowable lead levels were exceeded in individual products. Meaning that if a kid is consuming several of the products in a day-its entirely possible-his or her lead levels could be sky-high.
As for how lead gets into the products, the ELF says on its website that it's "a question for the companies who sell the products." But it notes that there is still lots of lead in the environment from "former uses" (since lead does not degrade), such as coal-burning by electric utilities, pesticides, paint, and leaded gasoline. And it's still being emitted. "Electrical utilities emit lead in flue gas from the burning of fuels, such as coal, in which lead is a contaminant," the ELF notes.
Also, the group points out, organic fruits and juices aren't necessarily free of lead. Several of the tested products with "organic" labels proved to contain unsafe levels.
Lead poisoning can be hard to detect, especially in small children who can be hard to communicate with. Symptoms, don't usually appear until lead is already consumed in dangerous amounts. Signs and symptoms of lead poisoning in children may include: irritability, loss of appetite, weight loss, sluggishness and fatigue, vomiting, anemia and learning difficulties.
The ELF conducted an independent study the findings from that study and the "suspected" violations have been sent to California's Attorney General. ELF president Jim Wheaton said, ”Once pressed by things like California’s law, people find ways to get the lead out and they reduce the exposure so they don’t have to give a warning, and that’s a good result.”
The ELF has a list of the products tested (including those that did not exceed limits) and other materials here.
