Consumer Reports finds Bisphenol A in canned baby formula, juice, and more

The chemical Bisphenol A, which has been used for years in clear plastic bottles and food-can liners, has been restricted in Canada and some U.S. states and municipalities because of potential health effects. The Food and Drug Administration will soon decide what it considers a safe level of exposure to Bisphenol A (BPA), which some studies have linked to reproductive abnormalities and a heightened risk of breast and prostate cancers, diabetes, and heart disease. (See our video on BPA in plastic baby bottles.)

Now Consumer Reports’ latest tests of canned foods–including soups, juice, tuna, and green beans–found that almost all of the 19 name-brand foods we tested contain some amounts of BPA. The canned organic foods we tested did not always have lower BPA levels than non-organic brands of similar foods analyzed. We even found the chemical in some products in cans that were labeled “BPA-free.”

The debate revolves around just what is a safe level of the chemical to ingest and whether it should be in contact with food. Federal guidelines currently put the daily upper limit of safe exposure at 50 micrograms of BPA per kilogram of body weight. But that level is based on experiments done in the 1980s rather than hundreds of more recent animal and laboratory studies indicating serious health risks could result from much lower doses of BPA.

Baby & child news roundup: Toys, outlet covers, family cars, more

Outlet cover choking hazard. A concerned grandfather wrote to us recently to say that the family of his "toddler granddaughter" had been given some animal-shaped outlet covers that he suspected were more of a hazard than an effective childproofing device. The multi-colored plastic plugs "certainly would seem to be attractive to a toddler," he wrote. Read the full Safety blog post.

Fewer toy recalls, more child injuries. The Chairman of the Consumer Product Safety Commission recently hailed the significant reduction in toy recalls this year. But the CPSC's annual report showed that there were 172,700 toy-related injuries that sent children under 15 to the nation's emergency rooms in 2008, the highest injury level since 2001. Read the full Safety blog post.

What’s the better family car? "I'm trying to decide between buying a Camry or an Accord, which would you recommend for a family or four with two young children in car seats?" Find out our answer in the Cars blog family sedan chat transcript.

School lunch makeover. Having lived through school lunches of chicken fried steak with cream gravy and mashed potatoes, I realize that many school cafeterias have made some strides. But placing a largely ignored bowl of apples at the end of the line does little. Read the full Health blog post.

Despite risks, teens report texting while driving. A new study shows that a quarter of American teens have texted while driving—dangerous behavior for a group that statistically, already carries significant risks when behind the wheel. Read the full Cars blog post.

Kellogg Co. removes immunity claim from Rice and Cocoa Krispies

If you’ve seen the claim on your box of Rice Krispies or Cocoa Krispies–“Now helps support your child’s immunity”–you might think serving these cereals to your family would arm them with one more layer of protection this cold and flu season. But claims such as these have come under scrutiny from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Last Wednesday, Kellogg Co., the cereals’ manufacturer, decided to remove the immunity statements from those packages.

In a press release issued November 4, 2009, Kellogg’s noted that the company began adding antioxidants to their cereal in 2008 in response to parents’ desire for more nutrition in kids’ cereal. Though antioxidants can help support the immune system, parents need to do more than feed their children cereal to build their immunity.

Some ways to help protect your child’s immunity include helping your child maintain a heathy weight, making sure your child’s immunizations are up to date, keeping the germs in your home under control, checking that their daycare or pre-school maintains good preventive hygiene, and staying in-the-know about swine flu.

--Artemis DiBenedetto, Web associate editor

Recall: Ground beef

Two deaths have been linked to the recall of 545,699 pounds of fresh ground beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7. The beef was produced by Fairbank Farms in western New York, which recalled the meat on Saturday. The meat was packaged between September 14 and 16 and may have been labeled with a sell-by date from Sept. 19 through Sept. 28. Because those dates have passed, the meat is no longer on store shelves but health officials fear it may still be in people's freezers. Each package bears the establishment number "EST. 492" inside the USDA mark of inspection or on the nutrition label.

Learn the states where the meat was distributed to retailers, the stores that received the meat, and what to do, in the full post on our Safety blog.

Tip of the day: Bring your own Halloween treats

Bring extra treats with you when you go out trick-or-treating this Halloween. This way, you will have already examined it and you can be sure it's safe. If you do allow your child to eat some of the treats he gets while out, he should not eat anything until you have had a chance to examine it for him.

For more last-minute Halloween advice, see our related posts:

• How to choose a safe Halloween costume
• Halloween cautions and recalls (Safety)
• Halloween child-safety tips, indoors and out
• Halloween safety tips for pedestrians and drivers

 

Probiotic baby formula

Nestlé Good Start Natural Cultures (including Nestlé Good Start 2 Natural Cultures, for babies and toddlers 9 to 24 months) is the first brand of infant formula to contain probiotics—the friendly bacteria that normally reside in the gut, where they help break down foods and medicine and keep disease-causing bugs in check.

Several studies now suggest that infants on antibiotics or suffering from diarrhea may get some relief when they’re fed infant formula containing probiotics. To produce any benefit, a serving must contain at least 100 million live cultures.

Talk to your pediatrician to see if you should try a formula with probiotics. If you supplement infant formula with breastfeeding, a probiotic formula isn’t necessary since breast milk is a natural source of probiotics. (See formula and breast milk storage guidelines.)

For related information, learn about jaundice in newborns.