LEAD FOUND in BABY FOODS and JUICES

On June 9, 2010 the Environmental Law Foundation, a non-profit organization from Oakland, California filed a Notice of Violation of California Proposition 65 alleging that lead was present in a variety of children’s and baby food. More specifically, lead was reported to be contained in apple and grape juices, packaged pears and peaches (including baby food), as well as various fruit cocktails.
Environmental Law Foundation purchased a large number of samples of assorted brands of juices and fruit products around California and tested them in an EPA-sponsored lab. The results showed that many individual servings of these products, contained lead levels that are above the federal daily limit established by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Lead is very a potent toxin that has to be avoided at all cost. Babies and small children are especially sensitive to lead’s harm. Lead-containing baby food and juice can provide significant exposure sources of this dangerous metal. It has been established by various scientific communities that the lead effects such as learning disabilities, ADHD, lowered IQ, mental retardation, behavior problems, criminal activity, autism, cerebral palsy, and birth defects can be caused by lead exposure and it is now common knowledge that levels below what is considered toxic contribute to behavioral and learning problems.
It is hard to say with any certainty how the lead got into these foods but since it does not dissolve over time, once released, lead stays in the environment. It can be taken up by plants from the soil or it can be deposited on plants and fruits as airborne particles. It can also end up in these products as a contaminant from the processing process.

Some brands and products reported to have exceeding amounts of lead include:
Beech Nut 100% Apple Juice
Chef's Review Fruit Cocktail
Del Monte 100% Juice Fruit Cocktail
Dole Diced Peaches, Yellow Cling in light syrup
Earth's Best Organics Apple Juice
Eating Right Fruit Cocktail packed in Sucralose
First Street 100% Apple Cider from concentrate
Full Circle Organic Bartlett Pear Slices
Gerber 100% Juice - White Grape Juice
Golden Star Mixed Fruit in Light Syrup (peach, pineapple, pears)
Great Value 100% No Sugar Added Apple Juice
Hansen's Natural Apple Juice
Kedem Concord Grape Juice 100% pure grape juice
Kroger 100% Juice Apple Juice
Langers Grape Juice (Concord)
Libby's Fruit Cocktail No Sugar Added (Sweetened with Splenda)
Libby's Yellow Cling Peach Slices No Sugar Added (Sweetened with Splenda)
Market Pantry Diced Peaches in light syrup
Maxx Value Fruit Mix in Light Syrup (peach, pear, grape)
Minute Maid Juice Apple - 100% Apple Juice
Motts 100% Apple Juice
Mrs. Brown's Fruit Cocktail in Heavy Syrup (peaches, pears, grapes)
O Organics Organic Grape Juice from concentrate
Old Orchard 100% Apple Juice
Parade 100% Juice Apple
Polar Mixed Fruit
R.W. Knudsen Just Concord Grape Juice
S&W Natural Style Fruit Cocktail in Lightly Sweetened Juice
Safeway 100% Juice Apple Cider
Santa Cruz Organic Concord Grape Juice
Simple Value Yellow Cling Peaches in light syrup
Stater Bros. 100% Juice Apple Juice
Sunny Select Yellow Cling Sliced Peaches in Pear Juice
Trader Joe's Certified Organic Apple Juice, pasteurized
Tree Top 100% Juice Apple Cider
Truitt Brothers Pacific NorthWest Bartlett Pear Halves, in pear juice
Valu Time Grape Drink from Concentrate
Walgreens Apple Juice from concentrate 100% juice
Walnut Acres Organic Concord Grape
Welch's 100% Red Grape Juice from Concentrate
A complete list of all products and other details pertaining to this case can be found at the Environmental Law Foundation’s website at http://www.envirolaw.org/
Joanna Cerazy
co-author Lead Babies