Environmental Pollutants In Infant Formula

It was no April Fool's joke.

As I was driving down to Cincinnati Ohio last week to teach a workshop, I heard on the radio about researchers finding percholate in infant formula. Percholates are salts from perchloric acid and besides being used in rocket fuel (yes, that is what I said!)these salts are commonly found in the ground water of up to 35 states. Plants watered by this ground water are then eaten by cows and that milk is used in infant formula. Percholates have been used for nearly 50 years in the treatment of thyroid disorders. Their impact on newborn infant brain growth and development is not thoroughly researched. The CDC does have a pamphlet on human consumption of percholates (http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxguides/toxguide-162.pdf) and there has been testimony in the US House of Representatives on the FDA's Role in Measuring and Assessing Percholates levels in food and beverages: http://www.hhs.gov/asl/testify/2007/04/t20070425a.html.