CDC Study Finds Perchlorate in Commercial Infant Formula
Researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently published a study identifying perchlorate in 15 brands of powdered infant formula (PIF), which included products made from cow’s milk with lactose; cow’s milk without lactose; soy milk; and synthetic amino acids (elemental). Joshua G. Schier, “Perchlorate Exposure From Infant Formula and Comparisons With the Perchlorate
Reference Dose,” Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology, March 18, 2009. The study authors purportedly found that some PIF samples exceeded the daily reference dose of 0.7 µg/kg per day set by the Environmental Protection Agency. More than one half of the formulas would exceed the reference dose when reconstituted with drinking water contaminated with 4 µg/l of perchlorate, according to the study.
The CDC researchers have reportedly claimed that the two brands with the highest perchlorate levels comprise approximately 87 percent of the powdered milk market in the United States. Scientists apparently believe that perchlorate, an oxidizer used in fireworks, airbags and solid rocket fuel, inhibits the uptake of iodine, an essential component of neurological development. “Perchlorate was found in all brands and types of infant formula tested,” the authors wrote. “All bovine milk-based PIFs with lactose have significantly higher concentrations of perchlorate than the other three types tested (soy-based, lactose-free, and elemental).” See FoodNavigator-USA.com, April 6, 2009.
