HANOVER, N.H.,None — New tests show high levels of arsenic in more than just juice. The chemical has now been detected in cereal bars and baby formula.
Researchers said much of the food in question has a common ingredient -- organic brown rice syrup. The syrup is used as a sweetener.
“The first year of life formula for many babies is the main source of food. And if you have high levels of arsenic there, you have to worry that the baby is taking in a level of arsenic that could be dangerous,” said Dr. Richard Besser, the ABC News Chief Health and Medical Editor.
Researchers at Dartmouth College studied 17 types of formula. The two kinds with elevated arsenic were organic and listed organic brown rice syrup as the first ingredient.
The issue is now coming to light as rice syrup is more frequently being used as a replacement for high fructose corn syrup.
Cereal bars are a concern, but not as much as the formula.
“It concerns me a little less because no one should be having energy bars as a main source of food, but if you are concerned about this, you can read the label and go with the product that doesn’t have rice as one of the top five ingredients,” Besser said.
The inorganic arsenic in question, a known carcinogen, is linked to certain types of cancer, cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
It is used in pesticides and animal feed before it makes its way into the soil where apples and rice are grown.
“We are going to be seeing that it will come to haunt us in terms of our food supply,” said Andrea Rock from Consumer Reports.
People on gluten-free diets should pay close attention to organic brown rice syrup because many gluten-free foods are rice-based. Two formulas named in the study are baby’s Only Organic Dairy Toddler formula and Baby’s Only Organic Soy Todddler formula.
Both products are made by Nature’s One.