Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul has joined a coalition of 20 attorneys general calling on the US Food and Drug Administration to take urgent action to protect babies and young children from lead and other toxic metals in baby food. In a letter to the FDA the coalition urged the FDA to issue specific guidance to the baby food industry to require testing of all finished food products for lead and other toxic metals. Fond du lac County Public Health Officer Kim Mueller says the letter comes following the recent widespread childhood lead poisonings related to high levels of lead detected in cinnamon applesauce pouches. “I think that was surprising for most people and I think the fact that the FDA doesn’t go through a vigorous process to test for those prior,” Mueller told WFDL news. “I think a lot of people were questioning it and so that’s why this is such an important action.” The Centers for Disease Control has identified nearly 400 confirmed or probable childhood lead poisoning cases in connection to consumption of these pouches.
