The New York bill is awaiting the Governor’s signature, while the California bill advances from the Assembly to the Senate. The bills would require baby food and infant formula manufacturers to regularly test their products for toxic heavy metals and disclose results.
FDA did not identify deficiencies in ByHeart’s production facilities that could explain the outbreak, but a powdered milk ingredient did test positive for C. botulinum. ByHeart is developing an action plan based on data generated from the investigations.
On May 26, Vermont Governor Phil Scott signed into law two bills related to food chemical safety; specifically, the nation’s first state-level ban on paraquat (H.739) and legislation setting heavy metals testing and disclosure requirements for baby food manufacturers (H.536).
Young child formula, commonly referred to as “toddler milk,” is widely marketed for use in young children’s diets. FSANZ assessments indicate there is a need for greater regulatory clarity to ensure product composition, labeling, and representation consistency.
The guidance was developed to help manufacturers and laboratories in the design, conduct, evaluation, and reporting of Protein Efficiency Ratio (PER) studies.
Samples were tested for arsenic, cadmium, lead, mercury, PFAS, pesticides, and phthalates/plasticizers. When toxic heavy metals were detected in some samples, it was at levels far below EPA drinking water limits.
At the upcoming 49th Session of the Codex Committee on Food Labeling (CCFL49), CCFL will consider draft guidelines on applying food labeling provisions during emergencies. Infant and maternal health groups oppose these guidelines, saying they could harm vulnerable populations.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) recently published the findings from several food sampling and testing assignments for microbiological and chemical contaminants across a range of food categories. In general, the results were satisfactory.
WHO assessed the overall public health risk as “moderate,” citing the vulnerability of infants, uncertainty around the extent of contamination, and gaps in surveillance and traceability.
The Infant Formula Safety Modernization Act includes provisions about expanded pathogen testing requirements and compulsory environmental monitoring for infant formula manufacturers, among other mandates.
