Infant formula, contaminated

T.p. verso. 1. Infant formulas—Contamination—Congresses. 2. Baby foods— Contamination—Congresses. 3. Heavy metals— Toxicology—Congresses. 

Simmons,B. P. Gelfand,M. S. Haas, M. Metts,L. Ferguson, J. Enterobacter sakazakii infections in neonates associated with intrinsic contamination of a powdered infant formula. Infect. Control Hosp. Epidemiol. 1989,10, 398-401. 

Stories in the media about the chemical contamination of human milk have made many mothers wonder if bottle-feeding might be an equally healthy alternative to breastfeeding. It is not. The choice is very clear Your own breast milk is, hands down, the best food for your baby—far better than its inferior pretender infant formula. This is the conclusion I reached after more than two years of studying the data on the chemical contamination of breast milk. It s why I nursed Faith for more than two years. 

Koo WWK, Kaplan LA, Krug-Wispe SK. 1988. Aluminum contamination of infant formulas. J Parenter Enteral Nutr 12 170-173. 

CDDs are found everywhere in the environment, and most people are exposed to very small background levels of CDDs when they breath air, consume food or milk, or have skin contact with materials contaminated with CDDs. For the general population, more than 90% of the daily intake of CDDs, CDFs, and other dioxin-like compounds comes from food, primarily meat, dairy products, and fish. CDDs may be present at much lower levels in fruits and vegetables. The actual intake of CDDs from food for any one person will depend on the amount and type of food consumed and the level of contamination. Higher levels may be found in foods from areas contaminated with chemicals, such as pesticides or herbicides, containing CDDs as impurities. CDDs have been measured in human milk, cow s milk, and infant formula, so infants are known to be exposed to CDDs. 

Potentially toxic metals such as Al, Cd, and Pb have been reported in breast milk. As they may also contaminate drinking water it is not surprising that they are found in infant formulas at levels even higher than in breast milk. Cow s milk-based formulas exhibit lower toxic metals levels [13]. For example, the exposure to Cd for an infant fed a soy formula turned out to be about 20 times higher than for a breast-fed infant. Interestingly, gastrointestinal Cd uptake is believed to be higher in newborns than in adults. So far studies on Cd speciation in formula milk are very scarce, but it has been reported that Cd in formulas is distributed between caseins and LMW compounds [12]. 

A module is a powder or liquid allowing addition of nutrients (i.e., protein, carbohydrate, or fat) to supplement a commercially available enteral formulation (Table 138-9). Addition of a modular product may be necessary, especially in children, to achieve a nutrient mix not supplied by a single commercially available product. Alternatively, formulations available in powder or concenbate can be mixed with less water than needed for the standard dilution to deliver more nutrients in less volume. Infant formulas generally are concentrated beyond their standard concentration (standard varies depending on type) in this way. However, keep in mind the mixing process required for modular components increases the potential for introducing bacterial contamination. This problem has been particularly identified with the use of blenders and reconstitution of powders. Human miUc fortifiers are available for supplementation of human miUc so that it meets the needs of a premature infant. Human milk fortifiers add additional calories, protein, and minerals and have been shown to improve nutritional outcomes in human milk-fed premature infants. " ... 

Transmission of Salmonellosis occurs in the majority of cases by contaminated food. The most common sources are poultry, eggs, fruits, vegetables, dairy products and shellfish. Peanut butter has been also implicated in an outbreak of salmonellosis in the USA and powdered infant formula in two outbreaks with Salmonella enteric in infants in France. 

In a survey by the Indian Council of Medical Research, a total of 186 samples of 20 brands of infant formula milk were collected from retail diops in and around Pune, Bombay, Mysore, Lucknow, and Ludhiana, and analyzed for HCH isomers and DDT-complex. Residues of total HCH and DDT-complex were detected in 175 (94.1%), and 130 (69.9%) of samples, respectively. The study also indicated high levels of metal contamination (As, Cd, Pb, Cu, and Zn) in infant formula milk [22] (see Table 8.6). These collectively cause neural dysfunction. 

Table 8.6 incidence and levels of contamination of pesticides and metals in Infant formula (milk) samples [22]... 

At its present meeting, the Committee was requested by the Codex Committee on Food Additives and Contaminants to review all data necessary for toxicological re-evaluation, including specific data relevant to the safety assessment for infants aged 0-6 months, from exposure through infant formulas (Codex Alimentarius Commission, 2006a). 

DNLM 1. Infant Formula—standards. 2. Evaluation Studies. 3. Food Analysis—methods. 4. Food Contamination—prevention control. 5. Infant Formula—legislation jurisprudence. 6. Infant Nutrition. WS 120 159 2004] I. Title. 

As mentioned above, infant formula in the Federal Republic of Germany is available as a powder or as a concentrate and must therefore be reconstituted with drinking water before it can be eaten. This may present quite a considerable source of Pb and Cd contamination. Its degree is very much determined by the state and condition of the drinking water supply systems. In the Federal Republic of Germany approximately 10% of households receive their drinking water from installations made of lead about 75% have installations made of zinc-plated steel [4]. 

The ZEES study Heavy Metals in the Infant Diet by Kaferstein and Muller points to a mechanism which may increase the contamination of infant diet, namely the water used to prepare infant formula. Such facts as well as models for risk characterization have been presented by Muller and Schmidt in these proceedings. Yet many questions remain. What importance for health evaluation can be attributed to such data What are the facts What is the model Does the model correspond to reality or is it inadequate How can the possible danger to infants be evaluated Are there guidance values or maximum levels for infants similar to those for adults Is it possible to apply the values determined for adults to infants or are they unsuitable for evaluating the burden on the growing organism ... 

Various amendments focus on specific problems dealing with the U.S. food supply, such as contaminants in infant formula, levels of contaminants in supplements such as vitamins protection of U.S. children from food contaminants... 

Lead in the Canadian diet is regulated under two Federal statutes The F D Act for Pb as a contaminant in various categories of foods, including infant formulae in the Canadian diet, and leachable Pb levels from ceramic ware and food utensils through the Hazardous Products Act. Food health and safety standards are established by Health Canada and enforced by agencies such as the Ministry of National Health and Welfare. 

Petersen, J. H. and Breidahl, T. Plasticizers in total diet samples, baby food and infant formulae. Food Additives and Contaminants, 17, 133-141 (2000). 

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