KEY POINTS
  • The FDA proposed new lead limits in baby food.
  • Lead exposure can impair brain development and the nervous system, resulting in learning disabilities, lower IQ and behavioral difficulties.
  • The FDA's proposed lead limits are not legally binding on the industry.
  • But the FDA said it would use them as a factor in deciding whether to take enforcement action against a company for selling contaminated food.

The Food and Drug Administration proposed new limits Tuesday on lead in baby food, in an effort to reduce exposure to a toxin that can impair childhood development.

The lead limits apply to processed food consumed by children younger than two years old. In a statement, FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf said the limits would reduce lead exposure from these foods by as much as 27%.