Bill Text: NJ SCR144 | 2020-2021 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Memorializes President and Congress to require FDA to establish standards regulating levels of toxic metals in baby food.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2021-03-22 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee [SCR144 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2020-SCR144-Introduced.html
SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION No. 144
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
219th LEGISLATURE
INTRODUCED MARCH 22, 2021
Sponsored by:
Senator VIN GOPAL
District 11 (Monmouth)
SYNOPSIS
Memorializes President and Congress to require FDA to establish standards regulating levels of toxic metals in baby food.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
A Concurrent Resolution memorializing the President and Congress of the United States to require the Food and Drug Administration to establish standards regulating the levels of toxic metals in baby food.
Whereas, Toxic metals are heavy, dense metals naturally found in the Earth such as arsenic, cadmium, mercury, beryllium, and lead which in large amounts can lead to serious diseases and conditions in adults such as lung cancer, pulmonary fibrosis, stomatitis, osteomalacia, permanent kidney and nervous system damage, and even cause death; and
Whereas, Children exposed to toxic metals in large amounts may develop serious diseases and conditions unique to their life stage such as slow growth and developmental deficiencies, decreased IQ, learning disabilities, behavioral problems, attention disorders, and many of the same serious life-threatening diseases which affect adults exposed to toxic metals; and
Whereas, The federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not regulate the levels of toxic metals permitted in commercial baby food except for arsenic in rice cereal, despite regulating the amount of toxic metals in many other commonly sold products like bottled water; and
Whereas, The lack of FDA regulations has led to high levels of toxic metals in commercial baby foods such as rice cereals, juices, and sweet potato puree, and many more products produced by well-known and trusted makers of baby food; and
Whereas, Companies producing baby food have established their own individualized toxic metal testing criteria due to the lack of uniform national testing standards which has led to many companies to test the levels of toxic metals in ingredients which tend to have lower levels of toxic metals as opposed to the final product due to additives like vitamins; and
Whereas, Commercial baby food would be much safer for consumption if the FDA established uniform national standards regulating the levels of toxic metals permitted in baby food and established testing criteria and guidelines for companies producing baby food products; and
Whereas, The FDA has stated its intent to produce guidelines regarding arsenic and lead in juices and increase inspections and testing of baby food, however the FDA has not committed to expanding lead and arsenic testing of other baby food products, testing for other toxic metals potentially found in baby foods, and establishing uniform testing criteria for the makers of baby food; and
Whereas, The FDA should establish standards regulating the levels of all harmful toxic metal levels in baby foods to prevent life-threatening diseases and conditions in children and should ensure companies producing baby food are following uniform testing criteria to test their products for toxic metals; now, therefore,
Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of New Jersey (the General Assembly concurring):
1. The President and Congress of the United States are respectfully memorialized to require the FDA to establish standards regulating the levels of toxic metals allowed in commercial baby food.
2. Copies of this resolution, as filed with the Secretary of State, shall be transmitted by the Clerk of the General Assembly or the Secretary of the Senate to the President and Vice President of the United States; the Majority and Minority Leaders of the United States Senate; the Speaker and Minority Leader of the United States House of Representatives; and every member of the New Jersey congressional delegation.
STATEMENT
This concurrent resolution memorializes the President and Congress to require the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to establish standards regulating the levels of toxic metals allowed in commercial baby food. Toxic metals are highly poisonous to adults in large quantities and have an even more pronounced negative effect on children. Toxic metals can affect a child's growth and development, may cause learning disabilities, behavioral problems, attention disorders, and many of the same devastating diseases seen in adults exposed to toxic metals such as cancer.
Despite the dire consequences of toxic metal exposure in children, the FDA does not regulate the levels of toxic metals allowed in common commercial baby foods. The FDA has also not established uniform testing criteria of toxic metals in commercial baby food. Instead, companies determine their own testing criteria of baby food products and many companies only test the levels of toxic metals in ingredients. This often leads to inaccurate reports on the levels of toxic metals present in the final product sold to the consumer due to additives such as vitamins. Due to the lack of uniform national regulations and testing criteria, toxic metals are found in the majority of commercially available baby foods in levels considered unsafe by many professionals. In response, the FDA has stated its intent to regulate arsenic and lead in juices and increase inspections and testing of baby food. However, the FDA has not announced plans to test other baby food products for lead and arsenic. The FDA has also not announced plans to test baby food for other potential disease causing toxic metals and has not determined a plan to establish uniform testing criteria for companies to follow. To remedy the issue, the FDA should begin to regulate the levels of toxic metals in all baby food and establish uniform testing criteria that companies
producing baby food can follow.
