Are You Feeding Your Child Lead?
on Wednesday, December 7, 2011Guest Blog by Rick Console, Esq., from New Jersey
Most parents want to feed their babies the healthiest food possible, made of pure, nutritious, and wholesome ingredients. When we scan the ingredient list on the jars of baby food, most of us are confident that we are doing just that. Most baby food ingredient labels feature recognizable contents, and there is little mystery to what we are feeding our kids. Or is there?
“Leaded or unleaded” was something we were asked at the pump a decade ago and associate with automobile fuel, not with baby food. But recently two law firms, Baron and Budd P.C. and the Law Office of April Strauss, filed a lawsuit on behalf of the Environmental Law Foundation (ELF) against more than 100 manufacturers of food and drinks for babies and children, claiming that their products contained elevated levels of lead.
It has been proven that exposure to lead has a detrimental effect on children, in particular those under the age of seven. As a matter of fact, just a few particles of dust inhaled or ingested by a child can lead to lifetime effects, such as brain and nervous system damage, learning problems, attention and hyperactivity problems, hearing problems, headaches, and delayed or slowed growth.
The damaging effects that lead has on children led to certain rules and regulations. Since 1978, for example, homes, schools, and other buildings are not allowed to contain surfaces with lead paint. Parents are educated by their children’s pediatricians on how to avoid lead, and there are even home testing kits that allow parents to test surfaces for the toxin. Children’s products and toys are not allowed to be made with lead paint, and just a couple of years ago it was national news when it was discovered that certain toys manufactured in China did not adhere to United States safety standards.
It’s fair to say that most parents are well aware of the dangers of lead and go out of their way to ensure that their children aren’t exposed to it. If you’re a parent, you might be horrified to learn that when the EFA tested every type of baby and children’s foods it could find in California—more than 400 products from 146 brands—it found elevated levels of lead in many of them, including pureed carrots, sweet potatoes, peaches, and pears for babies, packaged pears and peaches, fruit cocktail, and peach and grape juice marketed to both children and adults.
Companies named in the lawsuit include Gerber, Welch’s, Dole, Del Monte, Kroger, Wal-Mart, Target, Safeway, and Whole Foods. The suit, which is filed under California’s Proposition 65, would require that manufacturers place warning labels on their products, letting consumers know that the ingestion of the product would expose them to lead.
Manufacturers have a responsibility to ensure that their products are safe for those who use them. If they are aware of a danger, they must label their products so that consumers are also aware. If baby food products and other products marketed for children contain lead—of which there is no safe level of exposure—consumers must know.
If you or someone you love has recently been injured or become ill, and you believe a defective product or negligent manufacturer is to blame, contact a Philadelphia personal injury lawyer for a free review of your legal rights and options.
Rick Console is a New Jersey personal injury attorney who has been protecting and representing the rights of injury victims for 17 years. In addition to representing those injured in motor vehicle accidents, he has successfully handled thousands of cases related to wrongful death, slips and falls, medical malpractice and other accidents resulting from the negligence of others. Console is licensed to practice in both New Jersey and Pennsylvania, and has offices in Marlton, New Jersey, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
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