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Nurture, Inc. (Happy Family Organics, HappyBABY); Hain Celestial Group, Inc. (Earth’s Best Organic); Beech-Nut Nutrition Company (Beech-Nut); and Gerber complied with the request.
Three companies did not comply, however: Walmart, Inc. (Parent’s Choice); Sprout Foods, Inc. (Sprout Organic Foods); and Campbell Soup Company (Plum Organics). The subcommittee said it is “greatly concerned” over their lack of participation
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Arsenic, lead and cadmium were present in products from all companies who participated, according to the report.
Hainissued a statementin response to the report, saying the data “does not reflect our current practices” and “as science evolves, so too should our standards and practices.” The company added: “Earth’s Best has consistently supported efforts to reduce naturally occurring heavy metals from our food supply and stands ready to assist the Subcomittee’s efforts toward that goal.”
Gerbersaid in a statementthat it remains “fully committed to being industry leaders in providing safe, quality nutrition for babies.” It added that they “take many steps to minimize” the presence of heavy metals.
A Happy Family Organics spokesperson told PEOPLE in a statement that the 2019 data is “not representative generally of our entire range of products at-shelf today.”
“We are disappointed at the many inaccuracies, select data usage and tone bias in this report,” added the spokesperson. " We can say with the utmost confidence that all Happy Family Organics products are safe for babies and toddlers to enjoy, and we are proud to have best-in-class testing protocols in our industry."
Campbell Soup Companysaid in its statement: “Heavy metals are present throughout the environment, including soil and water. Whether you are growing your own produce in your backyard, buying fresh produce from a farmer’s market or purchasing a product from your favorite retailer, these substances will be present in the food to some extent. Campbell is committed to minimizing environmental contaminants including heavy metals within our products, and we will work with anyone to help establish federal standards to ensure that babies get the food they need to support healthy growth in their early years.”
Walmart said in a statement to PEOPLE that it is “committed to providing safe, quality food.”
Sprout Organic Foods did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s requests for comment.
source: people.com
