WASHINGTON (SOA) — In the absence of Congress passing a law to require baby food makers to test products for contaminants and meet standards for levels of heavy metals, states are taking matters into their own hands.
Triggered by our investigations, Maryland became the second state to protect infants from toxic heavy metals in baby food. In its wake, a national movement is growing.
The story of little Rudy Callahan’s life began with a terrifying chapter: acute lead poisoning from his favorite snack, pouches of cinnamon applesauce.
Rudy, now two and a half, was one of more than 500 kids nationwide poisoned by the potent neurotoxin that went undetected and unpoliced.
His mom Sarah calls Rudy her “world.”
“I love him so much and I want the best for him, and I want to do right by him,” she said.
It’s a page his family can’t turn back.
“That’s what’s the most frustrating about having a lead poisoned child,” said Sarah Callahan. “It’s completely preventable.”
What could have been prevented cannot be reversed.
Rudy’s mom, Sarah, says her son will likely never be free of the toxin or its potential effects.
“It’s uncertain as to what the future holds,” said Callahan. “So we’re constantly monitoring and looking for signs of lead poisoning. It could affect his health, it could affect how he learns. It could make him a sickly child. And we don’t want any of that, and I don’t want that for any family and any child.”
It’s nearly two years since Rudy was poisoned and it’s still hard for her to talk about.
“Because it’s something that Rudy’s going to have to live with for the rest of his life,” said Callahan. “And so, I want other families to be able to avoid that hurt and that pain.”
Last year Maryland became the second state in the US, after California, to pass a law requiring that manufacturers test baby food for heavy metals and include a QR code on the label for consumers to see the results.
According to Jennifer Schultz at the National Council of State Legislatures, since that groundbreaking piece of legislation, dubbed Rudy’s Law, at least five other states have taken up the cause, including Virginia, where lawmaker Michelle Lopes Maldonado is determined to bring transparency about baby food to consumers.
“It’s absolutely personal for me,” said Maldonado.
Delegate Maldonado says she first became concerned about toxic heavy metals in baby food after her own son experienced health issues as an infant.
Twenty years later, she is leading the charge.
“I haven’t met anybody who doesn’t care about this bill,” said Maldonado.
Aided by testimony from Sarah Callahan during a Virginia legislative hearing, and with a groundswell of early support, Maldonado says her bill could pass in the next few months, adding to the list of states that have moved swiftly when the federal government did not.
“The most important, impactful things that have changed in this country over our history has never come from the top,” said Maldonado. “It has always come from the bottom and the middle and crescendoed up to force the system to change. This is no different.”
Maldonado emphasized that the most powerful tool consumers have is their voice and that consumers is every state can act in ways that influence their elected officials.
“The power of the people to say we will no longer accept this in our food for our children is incredible,” said Maldonado. “You can’t underestimate the power of that. And by writing, by calling, by visiting your representatives, it forces the conversation. And so there may be a couple of us doing this now, but what would that look like if parents stood up together and said, not on my dime, not today.”
And it’s already changing, with QR codes starting to appear on some baby foods nationwide.
We asked Sarah Callahan what it will be like for her to walk into the grocery store, pick up a jar of baby food with a QR code on it, and know that the law that made that happen is named after her son.
Choking back tears, she said “I’ll be very excited. It’s definitely bittersweet because this should not have happened but I’ll be so excited when I walk into a grocery store and I see a QR code. Probably, even though he doesn’t eat baby food anymore, will be the first person to scan it. We’ve come a long way.”
Rudy’s remaining chapters have yet to be written, but Sarah Callahan says she won’t stop until more laws are in the books.
“As long as somebody gives me a platform to continue, I will testify before the remaining 47 states,” said Callahan. “I will do anything to get bills passed to try to get poison out of baby food.”
In the meantime, we are continuing to follow action on this in Washington DC, where lawmakers have promised to re-introduce the federal Baby Food Safety Act during this session.
To watch our half-hour special about toxins in baby food, click here.
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