After learning that the sunscreen industry isn't regulated we have some more sobering news to watch out for -- lead found in children's and baby's foods.On June 9, 2010 the Environmental Law Foundation (ELF) filed Notices of Violation of California Proposition 65 Toxics Right to Know law, alleging the toxic chemical lead was found in a variety of children’s and baby foods. The specific food categories included apple juice, grape juice, packaged pears and peaches (including baby food), and fruit cocktail. A complete list of the companies and products named appears with the notice and is located on the ELF web site.
Lead has been and continues to be released into the environment from decades of lead-based pesticide application, use of leaded gasoline, and lead paint, and burning of coal in power plants. The lead in the environment then can make its way into the food supply. But not every category or even foods within categories contains lead. There are things that consumers can do if they are concerned about their families’ exposure to lead.
o Make informed choices.
o Demand information before you buy.
o Advocate for cleaner food and more comprehensive environmental
health policies.
Apple Juice
UNSAFE APPLE JUICE
Lead has been and continues to be released into the environment from decades of lead-based pesticide application, use of leaded gasoline, and lead paint, and burning of coal in power plants. The lead in the environment then can make its way into the food supply. But not every category or even foods within categories contains lead. There are things that consumers can do if they are concerned about their families’ exposure to lead.
o Make informed choices.
o Demand information before you buy.
o Advocate for cleaner food and more comprehensive environmental
health policies.
Apple Juice
UNSAFE APPLE JUICE
For the following products, one or more samples exceeded the Prop 65 limit of 0.5 micrograms of lead per serving:
Beech Nut 100% Apple Juice
Earth's Best Organics Apple Juice
First Street 100% Apple Cider from concentrate
First Street Apple Juice from concentrate 100% juice
Full Circle Organic Apple Juice
Gerber 100% Juice Apple Juice
Great Value 100% No Sugar Added Apple Juice
Hansen's Natural Apple Juice
Kroger 100% Juice Apple Juice
Langers Apple Juice 100% Juice
Minute Maid Juice Apple - 100% Apple Juice
Motts 100% Apple Juice
O Organics Organic Unfiltered Apple Juice Not From Concentrate
Old Orchard 100% Apple Juice
Parade 100% Juice Apple
Raley's Premium 100% Apple Juice not from Concentrate
Safeway 100% Juice Apple Cider
Safeway 100% Juice Apple Juice
Stater Bros. 100% Juice Apple Juice
Sunny Select 100% Apple Juice
Trader Joe's Certified Organic Apple Juice, pasteurized
Tree Top 100% Juice Apple Cider
Walgreens Apple Juice from concentrate 100% juice
Walnut Grove Market 100% Apple Juice
SAFE APPLE JUICE
For the following products, NO samples exceeded the Prop 65 limit of 0.5 micrograms of lead per serving:
Great Value 100% Apple Juice not from concentrate
Harvest Day 100% Apple Juice from Concentrate
Kirkland Fresh Pressed Apple Juice Pasteurized
Martinelli's Gold Medal Apple Juice 100% pure from US grown fresh apples
R.W. Knudsen Organic Apple Juice unfiltered
Raley's Everyday 100% Apple Juice
Sunny Select 100% Unfiltered Apple Juice
Trader Joe's Fresh Pressed Apple Juice all natural pasteurized, 100% juice
Tree Top 100% Apple Juice
Tree Top Three Apple Blend 100% Fresh Pressed Juice
Grape Juice
UNSAFE GRAPE JUICE
For the following products, one or more samples exceeded the Prop 65 limit of 0.5 micrograms of lead per serving:
365 Everyday Value Organic 100% Juice Concord Grapes
First Street Grape Juice from concentrate 100% juice
Gerber 100% Juice - White Grape Juice
Great Value 100% Grape Juice
Kedem Concord Grape Juice 100% pure grape juice
Kroger Grape Juice 100% Juice
Langers Grape Juice (Concord)
Langers Red Grape Juice
O Organics Organic Grape Juice from concentrate
R.W. Knudsen Just Concord Grape Juice
R.W. Knudsen Organic Just Concord
Raley's 100% Grape Juice
Safeway 100% Juice Grape Juice
Safeway Organic Grape Juice
Santa Cruz Organic Concord Grape Juice
Stater Bros. 100% Juice Grape Juice
Stater Bros. 100% Juice White Grape Juice
Sunny Select 100% Grape Juice
Trader Joe's Concord Grape Juice made from fress pressed organic concord grapes
Tree Top 100% Juice, Grape
Valu Time Grape Drink from Concentrate
Walgreens Grape Juice from concentrate 100% juice
Walnut Acres Organic Concord Grape
Walnut Grove Market Grape Juice
Welch's 100% Grape Juice (from Welch's Concord Grapes)
Welch's 100% Red Grape Juice from Concentrate
SAFE GRAPE JUICE
For the following products, NO samples exceeded the Prop 65 limit of 0.5 micrograms of lead per serving:
Old Orchard Healthy Balance Grape
Packaged Pears
UNSAFE PEARS
For the following products, one or more samples exceeded the Prop 65 limit of 0.5 micrograms of lead per serving:
Best Yet Bartlett Pear Halves in Heavy Syrup
Del Monte Diced Pears in Light Syrup
Del Monte Pear Halves in Heavy Syrup
Del Monte Pear Halves, Bartlett Pears in 100% real fruit juice from concentrate
Dole Pear Halves in Juice
First Street Diced Pears
First Street Sliced Bartlett
Full Circle Organic Bartlett Pear Slices
Gerber 3rd Foods Pears [Baby Food]
Great Value Bartlett Pear Halves in 100% Juice
Great Value Bartlett Sliced Pears in Heavy Syrup
Market Pantry Diced Pears in Light syrup
Maxx Value Pear Pieces in Light Syrup
Polar Pear Halves in light syrup
S&W Natural Style Pear Slices in Juice
S&W Sun Pears Premium
Safeway Lite Bartlett Pear Halves in Pear Juice
Safeway Pear Halves in Light Juice
Sunny Select Pear Halves in Pear Juice
Trader Joe's Pear Halves in white grape juice
Truitt Brothers Pacific NorthWest Bartlett Pear Halves, in pear juice from concentrate
Valu Time Irregular Bartlett Pear Slices
Walnut Grove Market Natural Pear Halves in Heavy Syrup
SAFE PEARS
For the following products, NO samples exceeded the Prop 65 limit of 0.5 micrograms of lead per serving:
Eating Right Kids Diced Pears Fruit Cups
Stater Bros. Diced Pears Snack Bowl
Packaged Peaches
UNSAFE PACKAGED PEACHES
For the following products, one or more samples exceeded the Prop 65 limit of 0.5 micrograms of lead per serving:
Best Yet Yellow Cling Peach Halves in Heavy Syrup
Del Monte Freestone Peach Slices in 100 % Juice
Del Monte Sliced Yellow Cling Peaches in 100 % Juice
Del Monte Sliced Yellow Cling Peaches in heavy syrup
Dole Diced Peaches, Yellow Cling in light syrup
First Street Yellow Cling Peaches in heavy syrup
Gerber 3rd Foods Peaches [Baby Food]
Golden Star Peach Halves in Heavy Syrup
Great Value Yellow Cling Sliced Peaches
Libby's Yellow Cling Peach Slices No Sugar Added (Sweetened with Splenda)
Market Pantry Diced Peaches in light syrup
Polar Peach Slices
Raley's Sliced Yellow Cling Peaches in Heavy Syrup
S&W Natural Style Yellow Cling Peach Slices in Lightly Sweetened Juice
S&W Premium Peach Halves Yellow Cling Peaches in light syrup
Safeway Diced Peaches in Light Syrup
Safeway Yellow Cling Peach Slices in Pear Juice
Simple Value Yellow Cling Peaches in light syrup
Stater Bros. Yellow Cling Peach Halves
Stater Bros. Yellow Cling Sliced Peaches in heavy syrup
Sunny Select Yellow Cling Sliced Peaches in Pear Juice
Trader Joe's Yellow Cling Peach Halves in while grape juice
Valu Time Yellow Cling Peach Slices
Walnut Grove Market Natural Peaches Sliced Yellow Cling in Light Syrup
SAFE PACKAGED PEACHES
For the following products, NO samples exceeded the Prop 65 limit of 0.5 micrograms of lead per serving:
Dole Diced Peaches, Cling in Light Syrup
Dole Diced Peaches, Freestone in Light Syrup
Dole Sliced Peaches
Eating Right Kids Diced Peaches in Extra Light Syrup
Stater Bros. Diced Peaches Snack Bowl
Fruit Cocktail
UNSAFE FRUIT COCKTAIL
For the following products, one or more samples exceeded the Prop 65 limit of 0.5 micrograms of lead per serving:
Best Yet Chunky Mixed Fruit in Pear Juice
Chef's Review Fruit Cocktail
Del Monte 100% Juice Fruit Cocktail
Del Monte Chunky Mixed Fruit in 100 % Juice (peach, pear, grape, etc.)
Del Monte Fruit Cocktail in Heavy Syrup (peach, pear, grapes)
Del Monte Fruit Cocktail No Sugar Added
Del Monte Lite Fruit Cocktail in Extra Light Syrup
Dole Mixed Fruit in Light Syrup
Eating Right Fruit Cocktail packed in Sucralose
Eating Right No Sugar Fruit Cocktail
First Street Fruit Cocktail in heavy syrup
Golden Star Mixed Fruit in Light Syrup (peach, pineapple, pears)
Great Value No Sugar Added Fruit Cocktail
Kroger Fruit Cocktail in Heavy Syrup
Kroger Lite Fruit Cocktail in Pear Juice
Kroger Value Fruit Mix (Peaches, pears, grapes)
Libby's Fruit Cocktail No Sugar Added (Sweetened with Splenda)
Market Pantry Mixed Fruit in light syrup
Maxx Value Fruit Mix in Light Syrup (peach, pear, grape)
Mrs. Brown's Fruit Cocktail in Heavy Syrup (peaches, pears, grapes)
Polar Mixed Fruit
Raley's Fruit Cocktail in Heavy Syrup
S&W Natural Style Fruit Cocktail in Lightly Sweetened Juice
Safeway Fruit Cocktail in Heavy Syrup
Safeway Light Sugar Fruit Cocktail
Safeway Lite Fruit Cocktail in Pear Juice
Stater Bros. Fruit Cocktail in Heavy Syrup
Sunny Select Fruit Cocktail in Juice
SAFE FRUIT COCKTAIL
For the following products, NO samples exceeded the Prop 65 limit of 0.5 micrograms of lead per serving:
Del Monte Mixed Fruit
Do you have any of these products in the home you work in? If so, will you show the parents this information to make different food selections for the children and babies you care for?
What I would like to know is if anyone has asked these companies their response to lead being found in their products and what they have to say about it.
ReplyDeleteAll I can do is forward this information along to my mom and dad boss and let them decide what to do. We have lead in our drinking water and all families I know in town use water coolers and bottled water for drinking but my employers don't. But if they aren't worried about the tap water or BPA (which you published and I passed along to them) I don't think they'll change brands. What more can I do? They are the parents.
ReplyDeleteThere is no reason to believe bottled water has less lead than your home's tap water. Bottled water is tap water from various jurisdictions in the US and abroad, and has fewer contaminant regulations to meet than sanitized water from the public system. See The Story of Bottled Water for more info.. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Se12y9hSOM0
ReplyDeleteFilter your home water for the most reliable results. I use a PUR filter pitcher. I hear good things about whole house filters via budgetwater.com too. Also, Santevia makes a great 5-gallon filter system for offices or home.
It is surprising to know that a lot of the supposedly 'healthy' products that we drink and eat today have harmful lead contents. The consumers definitely have the right to know about this information primarily because their health is at risk.
ReplyDeleteUsually, some companies do product recalls to remove the identified harmful products from the market. If they don't, then these companies might face charges. Individuals who have been unduly harmed by products should immediately consult their injury lawyers (Ottawa, or in other areas). In the city where I live in (Ottawa), personal injury lawyers provide professional help to the injured. That way, the latter would be able to get the appropriate compensation depending on the extent of the damage brought about by the harmful product.
It would be best if the highly affected individuals would also assert their rights. That way, improvements would be made on a larger scale. Thanks!