New research from Keele University shows that infant formulas are still heavily contaminated with aluminium.
In 2010 the group at Keele, headed by Professor Chris Exley, published a paper showing that the aluminium content of infant formulas was too high.
The Keele group has now followed up this research with an even more extensive study looking at the 30 most popular brands of infant formula in the United Kingdom.
The results show high levels of aluminium in each of the 30 infant formulas.
In the publication the aluminium content of the infant formulas are listed from lowest to highest so that parents might choose to use a product with the lowest content of aluminium.
Professor Exley said: "Clearly the manufacturers of infant formulas are not concerned about reducing their content of aluminium and the extensive use of aluminium-based packaging for infant formulas seems to confirm this.
"There are no adequate criteria upon which to base a safety level for aluminium in infant formulas and for this reason it would be sensible to take action to reduce the level of aluminium to a lowest practicable level.
"Since manufacturers are not willing to address the aluminium content of infant formulas it must now be time for the government, through the Food Standards Agency, to provide guidance on this matter and to indicate a maximum allowable concentration, for example, 50 ppb (50 mg/L) aluminium in the product at point of use, as a precautionary step to protect infants against chronic aluminium intoxication during the earliest weeks, months and years of their lives."
The new paper is published by BMC Pediatrics.
Explore further: Humans experiencing increased exposure to aluminium and it's predicted to get worse
More information: Chuchu, N. et al. The aluminium content of infant formulas remains too high, BMC Pediatrics, 2013, 13:162.
DOI: 10.1186/1471-2431-13-162
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New research from Keele University shows that infant formulas are still heavily contaminated with aluminium.
In 2010 the group at Keele, headed by Professor Chris Exley, published a paper showing that the aluminium content of infant formulas was too high.
The Keele group has now followed up this research with an even more extensive study looking at the 30 most popular brands of infant formula in the United Kingdom.
The results show high levels of aluminium in each of the 30 infant formulas.
In the publication the aluminium content of the infant formulas are listed from lowest to highest so that parents might choose to use a product with the lowest content of aluminium.
Professor Exley said: "Clearly the manufacturers of infant formulas are not concerned about reducing their content of aluminium and the extensive use of aluminium-based packaging for infant formulas seems to confirm this.
"There are no adequate criteria upon which to base a safety level for aluminium in infant formulas and for this reason it would be sensible to take action to reduce the level of aluminium to a lowest practicable level.
"Since manufacturers are not willing to address the aluminium content of infant formulas it must now be time for the government, through the Food Standards Agency, to provide guidance on this matter and to indicate a maximum allowable concentration, for example, 50 ppb (50 mg/L) aluminium in the product at point of use, as a precautionary step to protect infants against chronic aluminium intoxication during the earliest weeks, months and years of their lives."
The new paper is published by BMC Pediatrics.
Explore further: Humans experiencing increased exposure to aluminium and it's predicted to get worse
More information: Chuchu, N. et al. The aluminium content of infant formulas remains too high, BMC Pediatrics, 2013, 13:162.
DOI: 10.1186/1471-2431-13-162
Medical Xpress on facebook
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Humans experiencing increased exposure to aluminium and it's predicted to get worse
Aug 28, 2013
Aluminium - the most abundant metal and third most abundant element of the Earth's crust - has no known biological function and is a recognised environmental toxin. Human exposure to aluminium is implicated in a number of ...
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Aug 09, 2013
(Medical Xpress)—Formula-fed infants experience metabolic stress that could make them more susceptible than breast-fed infants to a wide range of health issues such as obesity, diabetes, liver problems ...
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Apr 01, 2013
Silvery, ductile, malleable and so very, very useful, aluminium is the most common metal in the Earth's crust. But despite its importance (or perhaps because of it), there are fears that this metal causes ...
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Jan 06, 2009
Wheat-based infant follow-on formulas are better reconstituted with fruit juice and should be stored in the fridge at 4°C to prevent growth of meningitis bacteria, according to recent research.
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Sep 19, 2011
University of Kansas scientists have found new evidence that infant formulas fortified with long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFA) are good for developing brains and hearts.
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Oct 08, 2013
Pneumonia is the leading cause of death of young children around the world, and a study from an international group of researchers now finds that the risk of poor outcomes – including persistent pneumonia, secondary infections, ...
Nearly one in ten young people report perpetrating sexual violence
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