Nature's One Announces Goal for Zero Arsenic in Baby Formula

LEWIS CENTER, Ohio, May 21, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The manufacturer of the nation's first organic baby formula today announced its expanded purity initiative to minimize or eliminate environmental contaminants known to be in the U.S. food supply, such as arsenic and other heavy metals, pesticide residues and hidden chemicals used in processing like hexane. 

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Nature's One encourages other formula and baby food manufacturers to follow its lead utilizing the best science and technology to accomplish this goal. 

"Anymore, it is not enough to talk about what is added to a formula to make it beneficial," said Nature's One CEO Jay Highman. "Instead, we need to talk about what is not in the formula or baby's first foods.  Unfortunately, many of these chemicals go undetected because they are not tested routinely, or are concealed under current labeling regulations.  The company's founding goal has always been to identify and eliminate toxins that may negatively impact human development."

For example, according to a February 1, 2012 study, 15 infant formulas sold in the U.S. contained arsenic(1).  Researchers noted the type of arsenic when identified was nearly 100% inorganic arsenic; considered by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Food and Drug Administration to be the most toxic form.  Nature's One announced earlier this year that its formulas meet all world standards for inorganic arsenic in rice-based foods for infants – testing 58% to 73% lower than proposed world standards(2).  Arsenic is found in all drinking water, foods, infant formulas and even breast milk, according to the WHO(3). The U.S. has no current regulations for arsenic in food. 

Nature's One has innovated a USDA organic-compliant process to possibly eliminate detectable arsenic in organic brown rice syrup using modern testing equipment and methodologies. This allows Nature's One to further proclaim the healthful benefits of organic brown rice syrup when compared to other carbohydrate sources like sucrose (table sugar) or glucose syrups (corn syrup) found in other organic and conventional formulas.

Nature's One objective since introducing the first organic formula in 1999 was to eliminate the use of pesticides, antibiotics, growth hormones, corn syrup, and more recently algae/fungus oils (DHA/ARA) and bisphenol-A (BPA).  The scope of this purity pledge has now expanded to include contaminants that transcend both organically and conventionally grown foods. Highman adds, "Our purity initiative has no ending point; eliminating or minimizing these toxins should be a goal for all companies who want to provide the very best in nutritional and developmental health."  For more information, see www.NaturesOne.com.

1. Arsenic concentration and speciation in infant formulas and first foods, Jackson, Brian P.; Taylor, Vivien F.; Punshon, Tracy; Cottingha, Kathryn L., 1USA; February 1, 2012, Pure and Applied Chemistry, page 9. http://www.thefreelibrary.com/_/print/PrintArticle.aspx?id=279137804
2. JOINT FAO/WHO FOOD STANDARDS PROGRAMME CODEX COMMITTEE ON CONTAMINANTS IN FOODS 5th Session The Hague, The Netherlands, 21 – 25 March 2011, page 20, paragraph 72: http://www.cclac.org/documentos/CCCF/2011/3%20Documentos/Documentos%20Ingles/cf05_INF.pdf
3. Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives.  Safety Evaluation of Certain Contaminants in Food.  WHO Food Additive Series: 63 and FAO JECFA Monographs 8, 2011.

SOURCE Nature's One, Inc.