Tell the Food and Drug Administration: Take action against contaminants in baby food

A new Consumer Reports analysis released just today found worrisome levels of contaminants in baby and toddler food products. CR looked at baby cereals; packaged fruits and vegetables; packaged entrees; snacks, such as puffs, rice rusks, cookies; and other foods often fed to infants and toddlers. A majority of these foods had concerning levels of cadmium, lead, and/or inorganic arsenic, elements that are commonly known as “heavy metals.”

Consumer Reports are now calling on the Food and Drug Administration to quickly impose new limits to ensure our babies and toddlers are safe. Sign our petition now to call on the FDA to take the following action:

• Establish aggressive targets: Set a goal of having no measurable amounts of cadmium, inorganic arsenic, or lead in baby and children’s food.
• Create and enforce benchmarks: To reach its goals in baby and children’s food, FDA should insist that manufacturers follow recognized best practices and set incremental targets for industry to meet along the way.  
• Finalize existing proposed guidelines: FDA should limit inorganic arsenic in apple juice to 10 ppb, and limit inorganic arsenic in infant rice cereal to 100 ppb. Also, it should revise existing guidance for lead in fruit juice to reduce the limit from 50 to 5 ppb, the standard for bottled water.

These heavy metals raise the risk of cancer, type 2 diabetes, and other serious health problems.  Children, because of their developing brains and nervous systems, are even more susceptible to the serious risks. In fact, research suggests that exposure to even small amounts of heavy metals at an early age is linked to cognitive and behavioral problems, such as lower IQs and ADHD.

These exposures can have lasting effects. Federal safety watchdogs should take steps quickly to address these problems.

Tell the FDA to act now without delay to keep babies and children safe.

After you’re done signing the petition, please forward this call to action to your friends and family so we can get even more people speaking out.

- Meg Bohne, Consumer Reports

More Information:

Consumer Reports finds 'concerning' levels of heavy metals in some baby foods

Tell the EPA: Don't weaken fuel economy standards that save consumers money & reduce pollution

In 2012, the U.S. adopted new fuel economy standards to save consumers money and reduce pollution. Fuel economy standards are working and consumers are better off as a result. Vehicles continue to hit record highs in fuel efficiency and every vehicle class is improving. A Consumer Reports study showed that, when fully phased in, these standards will save drivers $3,200 per car and $4,800 per truck over the lifetime of the vehicle.

Unfortunately, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Department of Transportation (DOT) are taking the first step towards lowering these standards, which would leave consumers on the hook for thousands of dollars more in gas costs.

The vast majority of Americans — 84 percent — believe increasing fuel efficiency for our cars and trucks is important. We need to speak out now to show the EPA and DOT that the people they serve want to keep, not weaken, fuel economy standards. Please add your name today.

Add your name now if you agree. Together, we’ll show the EPA and DOT that the people they serve want to keep, not weaken, fuel economy standards.

Take action now »

- Shannon Baker-Branstetter, Consumer Reports