Feeding your baby the best seems like a no-brainer, but unfortunately many baby food products throughout the USA contain high levels of heavy metals or other harmful agents. These heavy metals are harmful to anyone, but babies’ growing brains are particularly delicate. This blog post will explore how Inorganic Ventures is working in response to US lawmakers' guidelines to create certified reference materials that ensure baby food is as harmless to your child as possible.
What are Certified Reference Materials?
The quality of any given analytical measurement is largely dependent on the reference material that is employed for instrument calibration. Certified reference materials have the stamp of approval of the authorities, accredited to save the user time and enhance the quality and reliability of the analysis.
The Importance of Certified Reference Materials in Baby Food Production
Many parents are not aware that some rice puff snacks may contain dangerous levels of inorganic arsenic as well as mercury, lead, and cadmium. These substances are present in soil where the food crops grow and may easily find their way into the finished food product.
These heavy metals have had links to chronic diseases and cancer and other health concerns. Recently, US lawmakers have set out a new bill known as ‘The Baby Food Safety Act of 2021’. This bill works to ensure that there are strict standards to significantly reduce the levels of heavy metals that can be found in baby food and ensure that these are safe for the health of the infant. Baby food requires testing against certified reference materials to ensure safe levels and the results of these tests must be available to consumers.
Certified Reference Materials are the Cornerstone of Food Quality Control
As well as in baby food, certified reference materials are critical for quality control in all types of food analysis. Laboratories must ensure the outcomes of their analyses are accurate which is not always simple. Results are not always universally valid, and the validity is largely dependent on the test method used, the storage of reagents, and other analytical parameters.
This can lead to two laboratories producing two entirely different results and certified reference materials serve as a scale for comparison, allowing for a more accurate interpretation of the analysis result.
Inorganic Ventures Can Help