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Democrats urge FDA to regulate toxic metals in baby food after research finds high levels.

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Top Democrats are urging the FDA to regulate toxic metals in baby formula after a Congressional investigation found metals like arsenic, lead, and cadmium to be found in far higher amounts than permitted in bottled water and other products.

Sens. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn. And Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill. As well as the representatives Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill. And Tony Cardenas, D-Calif., Told CNBC that they are asking regulators to limit the levels of toxic heavy metals in baby food.

The Food and Drug Administration does not currently set limits for heavy metals in baby food, particularly for arsenic in rice grain. The agency regulates other toxins in consumer products such as lead, arsenic, and cadmium in bottled water.

The four Democrats said Thursday they had drafted laws that would tighten regulations on baby food safety and sent them to FDA staff for technical review. However, lawmakers want the FDA to use their existing regulator to take immediate action.

“Through our legislation and FDA regulations, we will ensure that the baby foods we put on the market are safe and that our children are safe,” Krishnamoorthi said in a statement. “I am proud to work with my colleagues, along with the FDA, stakeholders and health professionals across the country, to develop major reforms.”

An FDA spokeswoman said the agency takes exposure to toxic metals in food “extremely seriously” and that the agency is reviewing the results of the Congressional investigation. She added that “The FDA has not commented on whether it has received requests for technical assistance regarding the legislation, but we would look forward to working with Congress on the matter.”

Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill., During the House Oversight and Reform Committee hearing titled Protecting the Timely Delivery of Mail, Medicines and Postal Ballots on Monday, Aug. 24, 2020, in the Rayburn House office building.

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A subcommittee of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, chaired by Krishnamoorthi, released the results of its 15-month investigation in February. It used data from four companies – Nurture, Hain Celestial Group, Beech-Nut Nutrition, and Gerber, a unit of Nestle – that responded to the subcommittee’s requests for information on testing guidelines and test results for their products.

The research found that “baby food companies weren’t looking for parents and young children the way we all expected – instead they knowingly sold us tainted products,” said Krishnamoorthi.

Hain said at the time that the investigation “did not reflect our current practices,” adding that the company’s internal standards “meet or exceed current federal guidelines.”

Gemma Hart, a spokeswoman for Nurture, told the New York Times at the time that their products were safe and that the metals were only present in “trace amounts”. Beech-Nut said Thursday that the company is “committed to continuously improving its internal standards and testing processes as technology and knowledge evolve.” Dana Stambaugh, a spokeswoman for Gerber, said the company is taking steps to minimize metals in its products.

Three other baby food companies – Walmart, Sprout Organic Foods, and Campbell Soup – did not provide all of the information requested. At the time the investigation was published, Campbell said its products were safe and cited the lack of FDA standards for heavy metals in baby food.

A Walmart representative told Reuters at the time that private label product suppliers must meet their own specifications, “which for baby and toddler foods means the levels must meet or fall below the limits set by the FDA.”

Sprout did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for comment.

“Like parents across America, I was horrified to learn that trusted baby food brands knowingly sell products that are high in toxic lead, arsenic, mercury and cadmium,” Rep. Cardenas said Thursday. “I urge the FDA to use their existing agencies to take immediate regulatory action.

The investigation found that heavy metals are naturally found in some grains and vegetables, but added that levels can be increased if manufacturers add other tainted ingredients to baby food. According to the report, companies rarely test their products for contamination before sending them to stores.

“It is unacceptable that, despite parents’ efforts to protect their children, some leading baby formula manufacturers have launched products that expose children to dangerous toxins,” Klobuchar said in a statement. “This legislation will protect children and ensure a healthy start by holding manufacturers accountable for removing toxins from infant and toddler foods.”

Ford Motor has quietly started production in Mexico on a new pickup truck that the automaker says is expected to be smaller than its current Ranger model.

The new truck was announced to investors on Wednesday in the automaker’s monthly production data as the “C-Pick Up,” which is manufactured at its Hermosillo plant. Only 21 vehicles were assembled in February, which likely indicates early prototype models for testing. A Ford spokesman declined to comment beyond what the company stated in its monthly production report.

“C-Pick Up” is expected to represent a compact pickup truck that would expand the company’s highly profitable trucking business among its current mid-size Ranger pickups. Auto analysts expect the truck to be sold in the US and other markets such as South America, where smaller pickups have traditionally been more popular.

When Ford CEO Jim Farley led the automaker’s global markets, he said Ford was investing “in cheaper versions” of the company’s trucking business. He said, “expect new nameplates down below where we compete today.”

“When you think of Ford, we have a truck franchise that dominates the world, namely vans and pickups, and now we’re going to dramatically improve our supply offering around the world,” he said at a Deutsche Bank investor conference in January 2019. And that’s exactly what will bring our global profitability together for the next few years. “

2021 Ford Bronco Sport

ford

The pickup is produced at the plant along with the company’s new Ford Bronco Sport SUV. This could mean that the pickup truck shares the platform and base of the vehicle. Auto enthusiasts and trade publications have reported that a compact pickup truck – possibly called a Maverick – is expected from Ford by the end of this year.

Factory production is a likely sign that the vehicle will be available shortly. According to Ford, it took the Bronco Sport about nine months to increase production from 29 units to more than 8,000 in November. The factories slowly increase production before the vehicles are delivered to the dealers.

Jessica Caldwell, Edmunds’ executive director of Insights, said the auto industry is in need of cheaper pickups as some larger models like the F-Series can top $ 100,000. However, she doesn’t expect the vehicle to sell in large quantities in the U.S.

“It is extremely difficult to find an inexpensive truck that is something new,” she said. “I think it definitely makes sense for Ford, especially since they got rid of a lot of their passenger cars. So you definitely need something that is offered to consumers at a lower price.”

Mark Tritton, chief executive of Bed Bath & Beyond, says buyers are increasingly skipping national brand names and trying to try private label products, which are often cheaper.

“In 2020 alone, we’ve seen a migration to own brands across the industry, not just at home,” Tritton told CNBC’s Courtney Regan on Thursday morning. “Customers are open to new brands, discovering new brands, from trusted resources and retailers with whom they have a good relationship. … We believe Bed Bath and Beyond is well placed to be one of them.”

The big box retailer announced Wednesday that it will be launching six of its own brands over the next six months to get these items on shelves and on its website before the busy school and college season. The plan is to bring at least 10 private labels to market over the next two years while rebuilding around 450 Bed Bath & Beyond stores.

Later this month, Bed Bath & Beyond will make its debut with Nestwell, which sells bed and bath products. The Haven bathing brand is launched in April.

Tritton said the company also has a private label called Simply Essential in the works, which will sell more than 1,000 essential household items at competitive prices.

Bed Bath & Beyond predicts that private label sales will account for 30% of its business within three years, up from 10% today. The company said these efforts should also help increase profitability.

“We have … created a game plan for our business partners to communicate our new brands, the benefits and the ways they can create real joy in our customers’ homes,” said Tritton.

Bed Bath & Beyond shares fell 2% Thursday morning. The stock is up more than 180% over the past year. Bed Bath & Beyond has a market cap of $ 3.44 billion.