Researchers Find Fireworks Chemical In US Baby Formula

A chemical used in explosives, fireworks and rocket fuel has been found in powdered baby formula in the United States, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) non-profit group said Friday.

In "little-noticed findings", researchers at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that 15 brands of baby milk contained perchlorate, an oxidizer in solid fuels used in explosives, fireworks, road flares and rocket motors, the EWG said.

Nearly 53,000 Chinese Babies Sickened Over Tainted Milk Powder
Nearly 53,000 children in China have been sickened by milk powder contaminated by an industrial chemical, the government said Monday, dramatically ramping up its previous figures.

"Studies have established that the chemical is a potent thyroid toxin that may interfere with fetal and infant brain development," it said.

The two most tainted brands had a nearly 90-percent share of the US powdered baby milk market in 2000, EWG cited the CDC researchers as saying.

The CDC scientists submitted a report of their study on perchlorate in baby formula to the Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology in October last year and it was published last month.

South Korea Detects Harmful Bacteria in French Infant Formula
South Korean officials said Tuesday they have found harmful bacteria in a French baby formula product and vowed to step up tests on future shipments.

It was unclear when the study was conducted, and the lead researcher, Dr Joshua Schier, was not immediately available for comment.

"The little-noticed CDC findings ... raise new concerns about perchlorate pollution, a legacy of Cold War rocket and missile tests," the EWG said.

Additives in Baby Products Raise Fresh Concerns in New Zealand
The New Zealand Food Safety Authority (NZFSA) has issued a warning to the Kiwi parents to stop using a popular baby formula for fear that it has additives not cleared for use in New Zealand.

According to the EWG, perchlorate is found in drinking water in more than half the 50 US states and mixing tainted baby formula with the contaminated water "could boost the resulting mixture?s toxin content above the level the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) considers safe."

A study conducted in 2006 by the CDC found that exposure to perchlorate at levels "considerably below" the level considered safe by the EPA altered thyroid hormone levels in women, the EWG said, calling for new limits to be set for perchlorate in drinking water.

'Melamine Scare' Prompts Recall of Milk and Dairy Products from Chinese Supermarkets
Chinese supermarkets and shops removed milk and a wide range of other dairy products off their shelves Friday as a sweeping recall of goods contaminated with a dangerous chemical hit full gear.

Under president George W. Bush, the EPA last year determined that regulating perchlorate levels in drinking water would not result in "a meaningful opportunity for health risk reduction."

Source-AFP
SRM