Chemicals in baby food surveyed

Thursday 18 May 2006

The Agency has today published a survey into levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in 208 samples of baby food and infant milk formula on sale in the UK at the time of sampling. Overall levels found were very low or undetectable and do not pose a health concern for babies or infants.

PAHs are a group of about 250 related chemical compounds, some of which can be harmful to human health at high levels. PAHs are found in the environment because they are produced when fossil fuels are burnt. They are also in tobacco smoke and vehicle exhaust emissions.

As PAHs are in the air, they get into the soil and therefore into plants and animals, and PAHs in the sea get into fish. This means that PAHs are present at low levels in most foods.

The survey was carried out in advance of new European Union (EU) regulations that came into force on 1 April 2005. The regulations include baby foods and infant formulae, for which the limit is set at 1 microgram/kg or one part per billion. The results of the survey showed that no samples would have exceeded the limits set by the new regulations and the vast majority were well below permitted levels.

The purpose of the survey was to assess the PAH concentrations in the products and the level of exposure babies and infants might have to the contaminants, as well as to compare the results with the newly introduced EU limits.

Key facts from the survey

• 111 samples of commercial baby foods and 97 samples of infant formula obtained from across the UK were tested for 15 PAHs. Most PAHs were not detected in the majority of samples.
• No samples were above the maximum permitted level of 1 microgram/kg and most were substantially lower.
• In 78 samples (74%) of baby food and 57 samples (59%) of infant formula PAHs were below the limit of detection.
• Three samples of baby food contained relatively higher levels of PAHs than most samples in the survey, but were still within the EU limit. However, analysis of further samples from additional batches of these three products showed much lower levels.