SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) — State lawmakers are one step closer to removing toxic heavy metals from baby food.
Sen. Laura Fine (D-Glenview) wants to ban people from selling, distributing or offering baby food in Illinois that contains arsenic, cadmium, lead, or mercury. Her bill could require baby food manufacturers to test their products for each toxic heavy metal on a monthly basis.
Companies would also have to tell consumers the name and level of each metal present in the baby food and link to the FDA’s website with information about health risks for children. Manufacturers would be required to include a QR code for people to scan and find information about their heavy metal testing as well.
“Many people don’t even know that this is an issue,” Fine said. “When you think you are doing something healthy for your child, it is a big wake up call to find out that it’s actually backfiring.”
The Illinois Department of Public Health would have the ability to create rules for consumer reporting of toxic baby food under this plan as well.
Senate Bill 73 passed unanimously out of the Senate Public Health Committee Wednesday. Senators could vote on the legislation when they return to Springfield next month.
“Our children deserve access to safe foods to aid them in those crucial early years, and we must be proactive in our efforts to ensure food safety,” Fine said.
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