High Arsenic Levels Found in Organic Cereal Bars and Baby Formula Foods

A new study published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives warns parents that popular organic cereal bars and baby formulas contain high levels of arsenic. The study was conducted by researchers from the Dartmouth University who analyzed 17 baby formulas, 29 cereal bars and three energy shots. The researchers found that one of the two baby formulas that listed organic brown rice syrup as its main ingredient contained arsenic levels that were six times higher than the maximum limit recommended by the FDA for bottled water.

The researchers suggested that people should stay away from purchasing products that listed organic brown rice syrup as its main ingredient for sweetener since rice can be one of the major sources of inorganic arsenic.

“It’s probably not a good thing for an infant to be exposed to those levels of arsenic. We don’t know the effects of long-term exposure. I don't think there's much risk associated with eating a cereal bar every couple of days. But it is a source of arsenic that we may not be considering”, lead researcher Brian Jackson said.

Source-Medindia