INVESTIGATION FINDS PESTICIDES IN BABY FOOD SOLD BY TARGET – Chemicals found have been linked to birth defects of the heart and brain
A new investigation led by Friends of the Earth found an alarming number of pesticide residues in baby food manufactured and sold by Target under its house brand Good & Gather.
Lab tests of two items, the non-organic apple and the pear fruit purees for babies, revealed the presence of 21 pesticides, including 12 classified as highly hazardous to human health or the environment.
Neon-icot-inoid pesticides were present in 100% of the baby food samples tested. These chemicals have been linked to birth defects of the heart and brain, learning disorders, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, autism spectrum disorder, damage to the nervous system and hormone disruption.
Neon-icotin-oids are also among the most ecologically disastrous pesticides since DDT.
U.S. agriculture has become nearly 48 times more toxic to insects, including essential pollinators like bees, since the introduction of neonicotinoids. And they are a critical factor driving over 200 endangered species toward extinction, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
In addition, 10 of the pesticides found in Target’s baby food are linked to endocrine disruption. Incredibly small amounts of endocrine-disrupting chemicals — the equivalent to one drop in 20 Olympic swimming pools — can alter brain development, hormones, immune systems and more.
Babies are particularly vulnerable to the harms of pesticides. Their brains and bodies are developing so rapidly that small exposures can result in lifelong impacts.
