After consumer groups petitioned the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to remove Lunchables from the National School Lunch Program due to toxic contaminants in September 2024, Kraft Heinz, the makers of Lunchables, voluntarily decided to pull its meal kits from the program.
Senator Cory Booker’s Safe School Meals Act proposes widespread reforms that would reduce the presence of toxic heavy metals, pesticides, artificial food dyes, and chemicals in school lunches, and would mandate research to progress remediation methods for environmental contaminants polluting farms.
Consumer Reports and More Union have petitioned the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to remove Lunchables food kits from the National School Food Lunch Program due to what the groups perceive as relatively high levels of lead and cadmium, as well as the presence of phthalates.
A new study has revealed how leafy greens like spinach absorb various toxic metals differently and offers strategies to reduce uptake, highlighting practical solutions for farmers, food processors, and consumers.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a warning letter to the manufacturer of the apple cinnamon fruit puree pouches that gave hundreds of children across the U.S. lead poisoning in late 2023.
A recent, 8-year-long analysis of U.S. dark chocolate and cocoa products revealed a significant portion of samples to contain cadmium and lead levels exceeding California Proposition 65 maximum allowable limits, although concentrations of toxic heavy metals were seen to reduce over time.
Researchers from Tulane University assessed the levels and risks of
toxic metals in chocolates sold in the U.S., made from beans originating
from different global regions.
Following a lead poisoning outbreak linked to adulterated cinnamon fruit puree pouches that affected hundreds of children, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning letter to Dollar Tree, Inc. due to its failure to remove the recalled products from stores.
To protect the health of young children, the Baby Food Safety Act of 2024 has been introduced in U.S. Congress to give FDA the authority to enforce scientifically established limits on heavy metals in commercially produced infant and toddler food.
A recent study comparing the presence of chemical contaminants in conventionally and hydroponically grown produce found pesticide residues and toxic heavy metals in a larger number of conventional samples than in hydroponic samples. Phthalate levels were consistent between conventional and hydroponic samples.
