FDA: Sesame joins major food allergens list on January 1 | CNN

CNN —

Starting January 1, sesame will join the list of major food allergens defined by law, according to the US Food and Drug Administration.

The change comes as a result of the Food Allergy Safety, Treatment, Education and Research Act, or FASTER Act, which was signed into law in April 2021.

The FDA has been reviewing whether to put sesame seeds on the major food allergens list — which also includes milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat and soybeans — for several years. Adding sesame to the major food allergens list means foods containing sesame will be subject to specific food allergen regulatory requirements, including those regarding labeling and manufacturing.

Sesame allergies affect people of all ages and can appear as coughing, itchy throat, vomiting, diarrhea, mouth rash, shortness of breath, wheezing and drops in blood pressure, Dr. Robert Eitches, an allergist, immunologist and attending physician at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, told CNN in 2020.

The FDA conducts inspections and sampling of food products to check that major food allergens are properly labeled on products and to determine whether food facilities are preventing allergen cross-contact, according to the agency’s website.

“What it means is, for the 1.6 million Americans with life-threatening sesame allergy, that life gets better starting January 1, 2023,” said Jason Linde, senior vice president of government and community affairs at Food Allergy Research & Education, a large private funder of food allergy research. The organization helped work to pass the FASTER Act.

Sesame “is in dozens and dozens of ingredients,” Linde said, but it wasn’t always listed by name.

“For years, (people) with a life-threatening sesame allergy would have to look at the back of the label, call the manufacturer and try to figure it out,” he said. “If it was included, it was just included as a natural spice or flavor.”

The new law going into effect on January 1 “is a huge victory for the food allergy community,” Linde said.

The road to inclusion

Before the FASTER Act, the FDA recommended food manufacturers voluntarily list sesame as an ingredient on food labels in November 2020. The guidance wasn’t a requirement and was intended to help people with sesame allergies identify foods that may contain the seed.

Under regulations before the 2020 recommendation, sesame had to be declared on a label if whole seeds were used as an ingredient. But labeling wasn’t required when sesame was used as a flavor or in a spice blend. It also wasn’t required for a product such as tahini, which is made from ground sesame paste. Some people aren’t aware that tahini is made from sesame seeds.

While such guidance was appreciated, “voluntary guidance is just that — it’s voluntary,” Linde said. “Companies don’t have to follow it, and many did not.”

“The way an allergen is identified by the FDA as one that must be labeled is due to the quantity of people who are allergic,” Lisa Gable, former chief executive officer of FARE, previously told CNN. “Take sesame, for example: What’s happened is you’ve had an increase in the number of people who are having anaphylaxis due to sesame. There are various opinions as to why that is, but one reason might be the fact that it is now more of an underlying ingredient within a lot of dietary trends.”

As plant-based and vegan foods have become more popular, the wide use of nuts and seeds has been an issue that has come up more often, Eitches said.

Safety tips

“We remind consumers that foods already in interstate commerce before 2023, including those on retail shelves, do not need to be removed from the marketplace or relabeled to declare sesame as an allergen,” the FDA said in a December 15 statement. “Depending on shelf life, some food products may not have allergen labeling for sesame on the effective date. Consumers should check with the manufacturer if they are not sure whether a food product contains sesame.”

Many companies have already started the process of labeling their products, but it could take three to six months for foods currently on shelves to get sold or removed, Linde said. Some foods, such as soups, have even longer shelf lives.

People with sesame allergies can stay safe by being “very careful” about eating certain foods, especially in restaurants, Eitches said.

Middle Eastern, vegan and Japanese restaurants are more likely to include different forms of sesame seeds in their dishes, he added.

Those who suspect they are sensitive or allergic to sesame should see a specialist who can answer their questions and provide medications or devices for emergency situations, Eitches said.

Adrenaline and epinephrine are more effective than diphenhydramine, he added. If an allergic reaction happens, be prepared with any medications or devices and seek medical help.

Homemade baby food contains as many toxic metals as store ...

CNN —

Making baby food at home with store-bought produce isn’t going to reduce the amount of toxic heavy metals in the food your baby eats, according to a new report released exclusively to CNN.

“We found no evidence to suggest that homemade baby foods made from store-bought produce are better than store-bought baby foods when it comes to heavy metal contamination,” said the paper’s coauthor Jane Houlihan, research director for Healthy Babies, Bright Futures. An alliance of nonprofits, scientists and donors, HBBF, which produced the report, has a stated mission of reducing babies’ exposures to neurotoxic chemicals.

READ MORE: Manufacturers allowed baby food contaminated with heavy metals to remain on shelves, lawmakers say

Researchers tested 288 foods bought at stores and farmers markets across the United States – including grains, fruits, vegetables, snacks, teething foods, and family items that babies eat, such as cereals and rice cakes – for lead, arsenic, mercury and cadmium. Those heavy metals are among the World Health Organization’s top 10 chemicals of concern for infants and children.

“Toxic metal exposure can be harmful to the developing brain. It’s been linked with problems with learning, cognition, and behavior,” according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Researchers also pored over data from 7,000 additional food tests reported in published studies and by the US Food and Drug Administration.

Results showed 94% of manufactured baby foods, family foods and homemade purees made from purchased raw foods contained detectable amounts of one or more heavy metals.

Lead was found in 90% of manufactured baby food bought by shoppers for the report and 80% of store-bought family food and homemade purees. There is no safe level of lead, according to the AAP.

Arsenic was found in 68% store-bought baby food and 72% of family food either purchased or prepared at home. Cadmium was found in 65% of purchased baby food and 60% of family foods, and mercury was in 7% of store-bought baby food and 10% of family foods. (The highest levels of mercury are found in seafood, which was not tested in this analysis.)

READ MORE: 95% of tested baby foods in the US contain toxic metals, report says

The new report is a follow-up to a November 2019 report in which Healthy Babies, Bright Futures tested 168 foods purchased from major baby food manufacturers. That analysis found 95% of store-bought baby food contained lead, 73% contained arsenic, 75% contained cadmium and 32% contained mercury. One-fourth of the foods tested that year contained all four heavy metals.

“After that report we saw so many people saying you can get around this problem by making your own baby food at home, so we decided to check,” Houlihan said. “We suspected we’d find heavy metals in all kinds of food because they’re ubiquitous contaminants in the environment.

“And that is exactly what we found – heavy metals were in foods from every section of the store,” Houlihan said. “What this says is that as the FDA is setting standards for heavy metals in baby food, they need to go beyond the baby food aisle.”

What’s a parent or caregiver to do? Feed baby with as many different types of foods as possible, said pediatrician Dr. Mark Corkins, chair of the Committee on Nutrition of the American Academy of Pediatrics. He was not involved in the study.

“If you spread foods out, and offer a wide variety of options, you’ll have less toxicity,” Corkins said. “And nutritionally that’s always been the right thing to do to get the most micronutrients from the food you eat.”

Does buying organic help?

The report found buying organic didn’t lower heavy metal levels either, which was “not shocking or surprising,” said Corkins, a professor of pediatrics at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center and Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee.

“It’s the soil and water that’s contaminated with arsenic and other heavy metals, so it doesn’t matter if it’s organic or traditional farming methods,” Corkins said. That would apply to locally grown crops or even backyard gardens, if the soil had not been verified to be metal-free.

However, buying organic can help avoid other toxins the new report did not consider, such as herbicides and pesticides, said Dr. Leonardo Trasande, director of environmental pediatrics at NYU Langone Health. He was not involved in the study.

“There are other benefits to eating organic food, including a reduction in synthetic pesticides that are known to be as bad for babies, if not even more problematic,” Trasande said.

READ MORE: Doctors should test levels of PFAS in people at high risk, report says

“We’ve seen multiple studies show significant effects of synthetic pesticides on cognitive function in children as a result of prenatal exposure. We’ve seen images of the brain where certain parts are smaller that are crucial for higher order functioning after exposure,” he added. “A simple step would simply be to say eat organic because regardless of anything we’re talking about in this report, it’s good for you.”

Experts agree that battling toxins in baby foods is a job for government organizations who will need to work with growers, suppliers and manufacturers to institute regulations and safeguards. In the meantime, parents can make a difference.

“Making even one simple choice every day to lower a child’s exposure will make a difference, whether that’s staying away from rice-based snacks and serving a diced apple instead or choosing not to serve carrots and sweet potatoes every day,” Houlihan said.

“With heavy metals and other toxins the risks add up over a lifetime,” she added. “So even if some of these foods had been served to a child up to their second birthday, starting from there to lower exposure to toxins is going to add up. Every choice matters.”

Least contaminated foods

Tested foods with low metal content contain one-eighth as much heavy metal contamination as foods with the highest levels, Houlihan said. These are foods that can be “eaten freely,” the report suggested.

Fresh bananas, with heavy metal levels of 1.8 parts per billion, were the least contaminated of foods tested for the report. That’s an “82-fold difference in average level of total heavy metals” from the most contaminated food, rice cakes, which tested at 147 parts per billion, according to the investigation.

READ MORE: ‘Consider chemical hazards’ in the baby foods you sell, FDA warns manufacturers

After bananas, the least contaminated foods were grits, manufactured baby food meats, butternut squash, lamb, apples, pork, eggs, oranges and watermelon, in that order. Other foods with lower levels of contamination included green beans, peas, cucumbers, and soft or pureed home-cooked meats, the report found.

Infant formula made with lead-free tap water was recommended. Tap water that has been tested and is free of lead is always a good choice. Milk is also a good choice, but only for babies 12 months and older.

Some healthy lower-metal foods, such as yogurt, unsweetened applesauce, beans, cheese, hard-boiled eggs and grapes that have been cut lengthwise, were good choices for snacks for babies, according to the report.

Fresh and frozen fruit – including those used in homemade purees – were options as well. But don’t use canned fruits if you can avoid it: “Tests find lead 30 times more often in canned fruit than in fresh and frozen fruit,” the report stated.

Parents and caregivers can also lower their baby’s exposure to heavy metals by making some smart substitutions, the report said.

Using a frozen banana for a teething baby instead of a rice-based teething biscuit or rice rusk could lower total intake of heavy metals by 95%, according to the report. Another suggested teething aid: peeled and chilled cucumber spears.

Avoid or limit these foods

The most heavily contaminated foods eaten by babies were all rice-based: “Rice cakes, rice puffs, crisped rice cereals and brown rice with no cooking water removed are heavily contaminated with inorganic arsenic, which is the more toxic form of arsenic,” Houlihan said.

Arsenic is a natural element found in soil, water and air, and because rice is grown in water, it is especially good at absorbing inorganic arsenic. (“Inorganic” is a chemical term and has nothing to do with the method of farming.) Brown and wild rice are the worst offenders, as the bran contains the highest arsenic concentrations.

READ MORE: New FDA limits on arsenic levels in infant rice cereals don’t adequately protect children, critics say

Prior research has shown that even low levels of inorganic arsenic exposure can impact a baby’s neurodevelopment. A meta-analysis of studies on the topic found a 50% increase in arsenic levels in urine would be associated with a 0.4-point decrease in the IQ of children between the ages of 5 and 15.

Testing by HBBF found rice cakes were the most contaminated with inorganic arsenic, followed by crisped rice cereal, rice-based puffs and brown rice. The report recommended those foods be avoided entirely, unless the brown rice is cooked with extra water that is poured off before consumption (much like pasta). It’s best to do that with all rice, including white and wild rice, the report said, as it can reduce arsenic levels by up to 60%.

Rice-based teething biscuits or rusks and white rice came next on the most contaminated list, the report said. White rice is milled to remove the outer layers, but experts say arsenic levels remain high enough to be concerning, especially if rice is a daily staple.

“Inorganic arsenic averaged 100 parts per billion in brown rice infant cereal and 74 parts per billion in white rice infant cereal in our tests,” Houlihan said. “Baby food companies have taken brown rice cereal off the market because of its high arsenic levels.”

READ MORE: Water- and stain-resistant products contain toxic plastics, study says. Here’s what to do

Parents and caregivers can help by staying away from high-arsenic varieties of white rice grown in Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas, or simply “US” and instead choosing lower-arsenic basmati rice from California, India and Pakistan, as well as sushi rice from the US, the report said.

Serve these foods rarely

After rice-based foods, the analysis found the highest levels of heavy metals in raisins, non-rice teething crackers, granola bars with raisins and oat-ring cereals. But those were not the only foods of concern: Dried fruit, grape juice, arrowroot teething crackers and sunflower seed butter all contained high amounts of at least one toxic metal, according to the report.

“Many foods have a kind of unique, heavy metal profile,” Houlihan explained. “For example, we saw very high levels of cadmium in things like spinach, leaf lettuce and peanut butter.”

However, the human body doesn’t absorb cadmium as easily as other heavy metals, and for that reason “it doesn’t have as high a level of concern,” Houlihan added.

“There’s also not as much evidence that cadmium is neurotoxic to babies, or at least the body of evidence isn’t there at the same levels as lead and arsenic,” she said. “Lead and arsenic damage isn’t reversible – these are permanent impacts on IQ, learning ability and behavior, so it’s a big deal.”

Root and tuber vegetables may have higher levels of heavy metals like lead and arsenic because they grow underground. In fact, the investigation found that nutritious baby favorites like carrots, sweet potatoes, squash and many types of potatoes did have concerning levels of heavy metals.

READ MORE: Dangerous chemicals found in food wrappers at major fast-food restaurants and grocery chains, report says

Even the same food could have varying levels of toxic metals, according to the report. For example, a shopper in Raleigh, North Carolina, bought a sweet potato with 60.7 parts per billion of lead – 10 times more than the store-bought sweet potato puree she purchased. A Chicago shopper purchased a fresh carrot with eight times more arsenic than the premade carrot baby food she took home, the investigation found.

Yet shoppers in Tennessee and California found the opposite – their fresh produce had minimal levels of heavy metals compared with the manufactured baby food brands they bought.

“As a parent, you don’t know what you’re picking up out of the produce bin,” Houlihan said. “Is it elevated because of the cultivar – the particular type of sweet potato or carrot? Or is it elevated because it’s grown in an area where the soil has naturally high levels of lead?

Answering these questions will be the responsibility of government regulators and industry, Houlihan said. The FDA has a Closer to Zero campaign, for example, which could take on the issue.

CNN has reached out to the FDA for comment but hasn’t yet received a response.

“And remember, if you’re protecting the basic ingredients that parents are using to make food at home, you’re not only protecting babies and toddlers, you’re protecting pregnant women as well. Babies in utero are particularly vulnerable to toxins while the brain is growing at such a rapid pace.”

With no way of knowing levels of toxic metals in the soil where produce is grown, parents and caregivers need to add one more step to their efforts to avoid these substances, Houlihan suggested. In addition to mixing up the variety of foods and not serving the same options each day, parents can “choose different brands or varieties of foods or shop in different stores from week to week to avoid choosing a high-metal source regularly.”

Fact check: Chocolate allergies don't stem from cockroach pieces

The claim: Most chocolate allergies are caused by ground-up cockroach parts found in chocolate

A persistent rumor has some believing that one ingredient found "in every batch" of chocolate, yet never listed on ingredient labels, is responsible for the majority of allergic reactions to the treat: cockroaches.

Several Facebook and Instagram posts from October not only make this claim, but also say that the Food and Drug Administration allows manufacturers to sell chocolate full of insect pieces to consumers.

“Most people with chocolate allergies are actually allergic to the ground-up cockroach parts found in every batch, not the chocolate itself,” one Oct. 18 Instagram post from the popular account @facts_and_history reads. “The average chocolate bar contains eight insect pieces; the FDA allows 60 insect pieces per 100 grams of chocolate."

But this is wrong on multiple fronts.

As the post states, the FDA considers some types of insects non-hazardous to human health at certain levels. But cockroaches aren't part of that group. There's no evidence they are commonly found in chocolate bars, either.

Researchers have not found insects of any kind to be responsible for chocolate allergies.

USA TODAY reached out to several pages that shared the claim for comment.

FDA regulations on insects in food, explained

The post claims "ground-up cockroach parts" are found "in every batch" of chocolate, and implies the FDA allows this. Experts say otherwise.

FDA spokesperson Veronika Pfaeffle told USA TODAY the FDA has not found cockroach infestations to be common in cocoa beans.

"Through FDA's extensive sampling of cocoa beans for insect infestation, we have not found this product to be particularly attractive to cockroaches," Pfaeffle said. "Cocoa beans do not represent a special problem in this regard other than that which would be associated with any food exposed to insanitary conditions.”

The post alludes to the FDA's "action level" for chocolate, which is an average of 60 insect fragments per 100 grams. If a six-bar sample of chocolate exceeds that average, the product is considered "adulterated," or spoiled, and is subject to FDA regulatory action.

What the post doesn't mention is that these insects cannot be cockroaches.

Of its three categories of food-contaminating insects, the FDA only considers "incidental pests" non-hazardous to human health at certain levels. Cockroaches are not considered incidental pests, Pfaeffle said.

According to the FDA, action levels like the one the post mentions were created because it's not realistic for raw food products to be entirely free of natural defects.

"The FDA set these action levels because it is economically impractical to grow, harvest or process raw products that are totally free of non-hazardous, naturally occurring, unavoidable defects," the FDA's Food Defect Levels Handbook reads. "Products harmful to consumers are subject to regulatory action whether or not they exceed the action levels."

Food manufacturing facilities are required to take measures to keep cockroaches and other pests away from food, Pfaeffle wrote. The FDA can seize products or enforce other regulatory actions if a food facility is infested with insects such as cockroaches, according to regulations.

In addition, none of the pages that posted the claim provided evidence for the statement that "the average chocolate bar contains about eight insect pieces." Action levels also don't tell us the average number of insect pieces found in any given food, the FDA says.

Chocolate allergy not tied to cockroaches, doctors say

There's no evidence cockroaches are a common ingredient or a common allergen in chocolate.

In addition, even people who are allergic to cockroaches are unlikely to react to trace amounts in foods like chocolate, according to Dr. Courtney Blair, a board-certified allergist and immunologist who serves as president of the Greater Washington Allergy, Asthma and Immunology Society.

However, many people who have allergic reactions to chocolate aren't reacting to the chocolate itself, but to additional ingredients or cross-contaminants, both Blair and Supinda Bunyavanich, associate director of the Jaffe Food Allergy Institute, told USA TODAY.

"Most reported allergic reactions to chocolate are due to ingredients in chocolate products that are common allergens, such as milk, peanut and tree nuts," Bunyavanich wrote in an email to USA TODAY. "Confirmed allergic reactions to chocolate/cocoa itself are rare."

Milk, nuts and peanuts are part of the "Big 8," a set of ingredients that are responsible for well over 90% of all serious, immediate allergic reactions to food, often called anaphylaxis, Blair said.

The FDA requires manufacturers to indicate if any major allergens are present in a product's label, even in trace amounts, its website says. This list currently includes wheat, milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, soy, fish and shellfish.

A source of chocolate allergies that may not be listed on labels, however, is a flavoring called Balsam of Peru, which can produce skin rashes in people who have allergies or sensitivities to it. Blair said she hasn't yet seen a patient who tested positive for a cocoa allergy, but she has seen about two dozen patients who had reactions to the flavoring.

Our rating: False

Based on our research, we rate FALSE the claim that most chocolate allergies are caused by ground-up cockroach parts found in chocolate. Several allergists told USA TODAY that most allergic reactions to chocolate products are caused by major allergens like milk, nuts and peanuts. The FDA has not found cockroaches to be common in cocoa beans, a spokesperson said.

Our fact-check sources:

Thank you for supporting our journalism. You can subscribe to our print edition, ad-free app or electronic newspaper replica here.

Our fact-check work is supported in part by a grant from Facebook.

5 things to know for Dec. 30: Ukraine, Snowstorm, Sesame allergy ...

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Get '5 Things' in your inbox If your day doesn’t start until you’re up to speed on the latest headlines, then let us introduce you to your new favorite morning fix. Sign up here for the ‘5 Things’ newsletter.

Here’s what else you need to know to Get Up to Speed and On with Your Day.

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1. Ukraine

Ukraine said its forces shot down 16 Iranian-made drones launched by Russia overnight, a day after Russian missile strikes targeted Ukraine’s electrical infrastructure, knocking out power in several regions and sending crews racing to restore services as the New Year’s holiday approaches. The latest attacks hit several power facilities, said Kyrylo Tymoshenko, deputy head of Ukraine’s presidential office. “We will not specify the locations of these objects, but because of these hits, we have limited power supply capacities in some regions,” he said. Engineers are working to restore power with capacity limitations remaining in Lviv, Kyiv, Kharkiv and Odesa, he added. Authorities have warned for days that Russia will launch an all-out assault on the power grid to close out 2022, plummeting the country into darkness before the New Year and the Orthodox Christmas holiday a week later.

2. Snowstorm

Abdul Sharifu left his home in Buffalo, New York, in blizzard conditions to get milk and other supplies. He never made it back. Demetrius Robinson was found in a snowbank a day before his birthday. Melissa Morrison’s body was recovered in the snow near a Tim Horton’s Coffee House. They are among the at least 39 storm-related deaths in western New York, where crews and emergency personnel are working to clear snow and abandoned vehicles from the roads. Even amid such harrowing stories of loss and grief, there have also been stories of hope. One couple in Buffalo housed dozens in their church during the historic blizzard. “We just jumped into action and was able to deliver up to 154 people to the church, to not freeze to death,” Al Robinson told CNN. “I wish that I could say that for everyone.”

Video Ad Feedback 'It was God's will': Hear how a good Samaritan delivers essentials to Buffalo residents in need 04:41 - Source: CNN

3. Sesame allergy

Starting January 1, all foods in the US containing sesame will be subject to specific allergen regulatory requirements, including labeling. The FDA has been reviewing whether to put sesame seeds on the major food allergens list – which also includes milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat and soybeans – for several years. Sesame allergies affect people of all ages and can appear as coughing, itchy throat, vomiting, diarrhea, mouth rash, shortness of breath, wheezing and drops in blood pressure. Sesame is in “dozens and dozens of ingredients,” but it wasn’t always listed by name, said Jason Linde, senior vice president of government and community affairs at Food Allergy Research & Education, a large private funder of food allergy research. “What it means is, for the 1.6 million Americans with life-threatening sesame allergy, that life gets better starting January 1, 2023,” Linde said.

4. George Santos

As Rep.-elect George Santos continues to face scrutiny for false claims the New York Republican has made about his biography, another story is being questioned: that his mother was at the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, and that the incident played a role in her death. In particular, two tweets sent from his account last year are raising questions about the veracity of the story. In a July 2021 tweet, Santos said, “9/11 claimed my mothers life.” But months later, he reflected on the 5-year anniversary of his mother’s death in 2016. Santos’ campaign website says his mother survived the attacks and passed away a few years later from cancer. In a radio interview last year, Santos said his mother got “caught up in the ash cloud” on 9/11 and did not sign up for financial relief because she didn’t want to take money away from first responders. Santos has previously said his mother was a financial executive, but that description has since been removed from his website.

5. Pelé

Soccer fans worldwide are united in grief after the death of a sports legend who inspired generations. Pelé, the Brazilian soccer icon and the only man to win the World Cup three times, died Thursday at 82. In Brazil, where he played for soccer club Santos, mourners paid tribute to a global star who made the nation synonymous with soccer excellence. Pelé’s hypnotizing moves and creative style transfixed sports fans and revolutionized the game. “How to grieve the passing of a man who, through football, took the name of Brazil to the world?” Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro said. Fellow Brazilian soccer star Neymar described Pelé’s moves as art, adding that while he’s gone, his magic will remain. Pelé died from organ failure caused by colon cancer.

Video Ad Feedback Brazilian soccer legend Pelé dead at 82 04:20 - Source: CNN

BREAKFAST BROWSE

Zach Bryan dropped a surprise album, ‘All My Homies Hate Ticketmaster’

We bet all the disgruntled Taylor Swift fans will love this one.

Researchers discovered 146 new animal, plant and fungi species

Lizards, ants, sharks, spiders, oh my!

Nick Cannon is closing out 2022 with a 12th child

He just welcomed this year’s baby No. 5 – a daughter with Alyssa Scott.

Consumers kept the economy hot in 2022

But with high inflation and economic uncertainty, they’re now losing steam.

That ‘free’ Starbucks latte is about to cost more

Rewards program changes will mean spending more to earn popular freebies.

This Sunday at 9 pm ET is the premiere of the CNN Film “DIONNE WARWICK: Don’t Make Me Over.” The documentary tells the story of the six-time Grammy winner’s legendary career spotlighting her blockbuster hits and advocacy for racial equality, women’s rights and LGBTQ rights.

HAPPENING LATER

House panel to release Trump’s taxes

Former President Donald Trump’s tax returns from 2015 to 2020 are set to be released this morning, a source familiar confirmed to CNN. The returns will be placed into the congressional record during a House pro forma session around 9 a.m. ET. The highly anticipated release comes days after the panel said the IRS failed to properly audit Trump’s taxes while he was in office.

IN MEMORIAM

British fashion designer and style icon Vivienne Westwood has died at the age of 81. She passed away peacefully, surrounded by her family, at her home in London on Thursday, according to a statement from her eponymous company.

QUIZ TIME

Thousands of users were unable to access which social media platform this week?

A. Facebook

B. Instagram

C. Twitter

D. Truth Social

Take CNN’s weekly news quiz see if you’re correct!

TODAY’S NUMBER

$1.7 trillion

That’s the amount of money in a federal spending bill signed by President Joe Biden. It includes a number of administration priorities and officially avoids a government shutdown.

TODAY’S QUOTE

“Now our clients are able to go with their visible articles of faith through the whole recruit training boot camp process just like anybody else. And they are not going to be told that they can’t be there and they don’t belong.”

– Amrith Kaur Aakre of the Sikh Coalition after a court ruled Sikh Marine recruits can keep their turbans and beards throughout training.

TODAY’S WEATHER

Check your local forecast here>>>

AND FINALLY

🇧🇷 Pele's Top 5 Goals | FIFA World Cup

Soccer legend

Pelé spent decades mesmerizing fans and stunning opponents. Here are a few notable moments from past World Cups. (Click to view)

Fact check: Mountain Dew free of BVO, but it isn't a flame retardant

The claim: Mountain Dew for years included a dangerous chemical that's also used as flame retardant. That ingredient has recently been removed.

For years, claims have circulated on the internet that the lemon-lime soda Mountain Dew contains a dangerous additive called brominated vegetable oil that's also used as flame retardant.

One particular Facebook post from April 2017 by user Betsy Ball Clark has racked up more than 1.1 million shares over the past three years. The post continued to be widely read and circulated in May of this year.

"BVO is a toxic chemical that is banned in many countries because it competes with iodine for receptor sites in the body, which can lead to hypothyroidism, autoimmune disease and cancer," Clark's post states.

A main ingredient of BVO, bromine, is a "poisonous, corrosive chemical" that has been linked to major organ damage, birth defects and other medical issues, the post says.

Clark's post quotes an online article — whose link in the Facebook post no longer works — that says there is "flame retardant" in Mountain Dew.

BVO is a patented flame retardant for plastic and has been banned as a food additive in Europe and Japan. Soda binges have led to medical issues for some patients, the quote claims.

Clark updated her post this month, saying she had emailed PepsiCo Inc., which makes Mountain Dew, and received confirmation that the company has removed BVO as an ingredient for Mountain Dew.

Clark did not return a request for comment.

What is brominated vegetable oil?

Brominated vegetable oil has been used as a food additive since the 1930s to keep ingredients from separating in sodas and other beverages.

Robert McGorrin, professor of food science and technology at Oregon State University, said BVO works as an emulsifier, particularly in beverages that use citrus oils, to keep the citrus oils from floating to the top of the drink.

"Instead of them kind of coalescing and ringing at the top — forming a film at the top of the soda — they're uniformly dispersed throughout," he said.

But the additive is banned in some countries due to concerns about possible health risks when it's ingested in large amounts.

The product originally carried the "generally recognized as safe" designation from the Food and Drug Administration in the U.S., but that designation was removed in the 1970s. The FDA's position since 1977 is that BVO can be used safely "on an interim basis," provided it is used in amounts of under 15 parts per million.

McGorrin said most beverages that contain BVO use it in much smaller amounts, such as 8 parts per million.

In 2014, Coca-Cola Co. and PepsiCo announced that they would remove brominated vegetable oil from their soft drinks. The announcement came as public pressure to remove the additive mounted, partially due to a Change.org campaign begun in 2012 by Mississippi teenager Sarah Kavanagh. Her campaign started when she began asking PepsiCo to remove BVO from its Gatorade products.

Despite the 2014 announcement by both companies, reports from as recently as last year showed the ingredient remained in Mountain Dew.

But that ingredient has recently been removed. Nutrition facts posted on PepsiCo's product information website no longer include brominated vegetable oil as an ingredient. PepsiCo did not respond to a request for comment on when and why it removed the ingredient from the soft drink.

Is brominated vegetable oil really a flame retardant?

For years, BVO has drawn a comparison to brominated flame retardants, leading to claims like the one mentioned in the post that there is "flame retardant" in Mountain Dew.

But the reality is more nuanced, said Christopher Reddy, a scientist at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution who has studied brominated flame retardants and other brominated compounds.

BVO could be used — and has been patented as — a flame retardant, he said. But the fact that it's patented doesn't mean it's in common use, or related to the vast majority of other brominated flame retardants.

The common brominated flame retardants in use are different from the food additive, he said.

"To lump all brominated flame retardants as one single entity about how it may interact with humans and the environment is not accurate," he said.

McGorrin said the common brominated flame retardants in use have different chemical makeups than BVO. Equating the two would be like comparing Splenda, a sweetener, with bleach, since both contain the element chlorine.

"People (are) just hearing the word 'brominated' and thinking all the negative connotations the word bromine brings with it," he said.

Responding to articles comparing BVO to flame retardants, the Bromine Science and Environmental Forum — an industry group that represents companies that produce brominated flame retardants — issued a statement that said its member companies "have never marketed BVO as a flame retardant."

"Apart from the fact that both contain bromine, there is no direct connection between brominated vegetable oil and brominated flame retardants," the statement said.

Is brominated vegetable oil safe?

Brominated vegetable oil has been controversial for years, and questions have continued about the general safety of the additive.

American Beverage Association spokesperson Danielle Smotkin said in a statement that BVO is "safe, permitted by the FDA, and when used is listed as an ingredient."

But some scientists have recommended more study of the ingredient over the past decade. An article from Environmental Health News that was published in Scientific American in 2011 said there have been some some cases of patients who needed medical attention for bromine-related symptoms such as memory loss and nerve disorders after drinking large amounts of soda — more than 2 liters a day — that contained BVO.

Walter Vetter, a food chemist at Germany's University of Hohenheim who has studied brominated vegetable oil, told Environmental Health News that "the scientific data is scarce" surrounding BVO, and it merits further study.

Charles Vorhees, a toxicologist at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center who studied BVO's effects more than 30 years ago, also told Environmental Health News that evaluations of chemicals has improved over the years, and he believes BVO should be reexamined.

The New York Times also reported in 2012 that some limited studies of BVO in humans and animals found bromine building up in tissues.

Reddy told USA TODAY that he believes there's still gray area in scientists' understanding of BVO.

"We know we drink it," he said. "But I don't think it's fully understood about where it goes once it passes your teeth, how long it stays in your body and whether it breaks down in your body — whether it creates significant harm to the body or even chronic harm."

He said the stories mentioned in articles like the Scientific American are often from acute use, significant amounts drunk at once. But drinking smaller amounts over time could be different.

"I haven't seen the data that really works on those types of differences," he said.

Katherine Zeratsky, a registered dietitian nutritionist at Mayo Clinic who has written about the use of brominated vegetable oil in beverages, agreed that she doesn't believe there's as much research on the buildup over time.

She said she believes it's unlikely that drinking soda in moderation, such as a can a day, would pose harmful effects. The worries come when a person drinks larger amounts.

"There's a concern that — with this additive, in particular, and many others — your body has to process it somehow," she said.

Zeratsky said she advises that people avoid drinking large amounts of beverages that contain BVO.

Our ruling: Partly false

The Facebook post's claim that brominated vegetable oil is no longer in Mountain Dew is true. The use of brominated vegetable oil has declined over the years as major companies have removed the additive from their drinks in favor of other emulsifiers.

But experts agree that a sweeping comparison of the additive to flame retardant lacks nuance. It has been patented as one but is not the same as the brominated flame retardants in popular use.

Experts also say it has also not been conclusively proven that drinking the amount of brominated vegetable oil found in soft drinks will lead to all of the negative health effects mentioned in the post. However, scientists agree more information is likely needed to broaden understanding of the ingredient's ability to build up in the human body over time, and that some people drinking large amounts of soda at once have experienced adverse effects.

That caution is reflected by the FDA's categorization of BVO as allowed in certain amounts on an "interim" basis, as well as the banning of the ingredient in some countries overseas.

For those reasons, we rate this post as PARTLY FALSE.

Our fact-check sources:

Ian Richardson covers the Iowa Statehouse for the Des Moines Register. Reach him at irichardson@registermedia.com, at 515-284-8254, or on Twitter at @DMRIanR.

Thank you for supporting our journalism. You can subscribe to our print edition, ad-free app or electronic newspaper replica here.

Our fact check work is supported in part by a grant from Facebook.

Fact check: Spring Valley vitamins made in China? More info needed

The claim: Spring Valley vitamins from Walmart are made in China while Sundown vitamins are made in the United States

A post on Facebook claims Spring Valley vitamins, an exclusive Walmart brand, are made in China and suggests the vitamins are not safe for consumption.

“If you buy SpringValley vitamins from Wal-Mart stop!” the April 27 Facebook post reads. “SpringValley is made in China Sundown vitamins are made in the USA…”

Similar claims appeared in 2018 after a user posted a video on YouTube at a grocery store claiming that Spring Valley vitamins are from China. The video shows the label of a Spring Valley vitamin bottle that reads “Product of China.”

Spring Valley is a well-known vitamin brand across the United States sold online and in person at Walmart locations, as well as Amazon. The brand has attracted controversy in recent years about its product labeling.

More:Walmart sales increase 10% as online buying grew 74% during coronavirus pandemic

FDA says products are safe and regulated

Even if the products were to come from China, the Food and Drug Administration has assured that imported goods are not unsafe due to the coronavirus.

“Currently, there is no evidence to support transmission of COVID-19 associated with imported goods, including food and drugs for humans and pets,” the site reads. “There have not been any cases of COVID-19 in the United States associated with imported goods.”

Nathan Arnold, a spokesperson for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, said vitamins are regulated and treated as “dietary supplements” and noted that all dietary supplements must comply with rules to ensure safety, quality and accurate labeling.

Walmart did not respond to USA TODAY for a request for comment.

More:Walmart upgrades apps due to coronavirus to combine groceries with electronics, toys and more

Available information varies

Product information on the Dietary Supplement Label Database of the National Institutes of Health shows that the manufacturer of Spring Valley vitamins is not listed on the labels.

ConsumerLab.com states dietary supplements sold in the United States are not required to indicate the country of origin of ingredients.

“What the FDA does require is that labels provide a phone number or address to contact the manufacturer or distributor, but this is not necessarily where the product is made,” the site reads. “If a product is manufactured outside the U.S., the name of that country must be indicated on the label.”

Users in the comments of the post noted the claim was not true and posted photos of their Spring Valley vitamins where it is stated “product of Denmark” while other users noted that no country of origin was listed on their bottle.

A post by Reference.com says Walmart products that do not list country of origin are manufactured in the United States.

“Its line of vitamins is neither manufactured nor bottled in China or Taiwan; however, some Spring Valley vitamin products do contain raw materials sourced from that region,” the site reads.

Photos of several Spring Valley products on Amazon.com show labels that indicate "product of China" or "Product of China and USA" but it is unclear how current those images are.

Our rating: More information needed

There is not evidence to state Spring Valley vitamins originate in China. No manufacturer or country of origin can be located on the Dietary Supplement Label Database. The distributor of the products, Walmart, has not commented on the statement. Without that information, we are unable to say whether the claim is true, false or somewhere in between.

Our fact-check sources:

Thank you for supporting our journalism. You can subscribe to our print edition, ad-free app or electronic newspaper replica here.

Our fact check work is supported in part by a grant from Facebook.

What you need to know about GMOs

Jolie Lee

USA TODAY Network

General Mills announced its iconic cereal brand Cheerios will no longer contain ingredients with genetically modified organisms (GMOs). What exactly are GMOs, and where else are they found? USA TODAY Network examines these and a few other questions you may have.

MORE:Cheerios drops genetically modified ingredients

What are GMOs?

GMOs are plants or animals whose cells have been inserted with a gene from an unrelated species in order to take on specific characteristics. For example, plants might be genetically engineered to develop a resistance against insects or to increase nutrients. GMOs have been part of our food for the past 20 years. No genetically engineered animals have been approved for sale for human consumption in the United States.

Why are some people concerned about GMOs?

Critics say there are potential health effects (see next question) and environmental concerns surrounding GMOs. One of the supposed benefits of GMOs is that they should result in less herbicide spraying, since some plants have been modified to be herbicide resistant. However, over-reliance on these crops has led to the emergence of "super weeds" that are also more resistant to herbicides, requiring increased spraying, according to a University of Washington study.

Are genetically modified foods safe to eat?

GMO critics say genetically engineering a food could affect its nutritional value or create allergens or toxins in the food, although these claims are disputed by federal regulators, including the Food and Drug Administration.

Three agencies -- the FDA, U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Environmental Protection Agency -- regulate GMOs for safety. According to the FDA, genetically modified foods are regulated the same as any other foods.

Which foods contain GMOs?

More than 40 types of plants have been genetically modified worldwide. A much smaller number are commercially grown. The most common genetically modified plants are corn, canola, soybean and cotton. Others include papayas, chrysanthemums, poplars, spruce, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. GMOs have also been used in tobacco, rice, cranberries, raspberries and walnuts, but these are not grown in the United States for human consumption.

How can I tell if my food contains GMOs?

Currently, food manufacturers are not required to label whether their products contain GMOs. The FDA only requires that labels are "truthful and not misleading." FDA is considering two citizen petitions it has received asking the agency to require GMO labeling.

GMOs, however, are prohibited in organic products. "This means an organic farmer can't plant GMO seeds, an organic cow can't eat GMO alfalfa or corn, and an organic soup producer can't use any GMO ingredients," according to the USDA. Additionally, organizations, like the Non-GMO Project, list products verified to be GMO-free. You can also download the Non-GMO Shopping Guide app.

Some companies are moving away from GMOs. Fast-food chain Chipotle has committed to removing GMO ingredients from its menu. Also, Whole Foods Market said by 2018 it will label all GMO products at its U.S. and Canadian stores.

Follow @JolieLeeDC on Twitter.

Elizabeth Weise contributed to this story.

Worried about artificial dyes at Easter? Make your own

Cathy Payne, USA TODAY

At Easter gatherings, tables are laden with a kaleidoscope of candies, cookies, festive punches and, of course, colored eggs.

But some researchers don't have a rosy view of beverages and foods that are artificially colored.

Michael Jacobson, executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, says artificial dyes are often used to mask the absence of real food. "They are used instead of real ingredients because they are cheaper, brighter and more stable," he says.

The dyes have been linked to allergic reactions and hyperactivity in children, Jacobson says. Some have been linked to carcinogens, he adds.

Heather Dessinger, who writes the blog The Mommypotamus, says she used natural ingredients for Easter egg dyes last year and will this year too.

"Like most parents, I'm concerned about the potential link between food dyes and behavior disorders, allergies and even maybe cancer," says Dessinger, who lives outside Nashville.

She says her two kids also had fun taking things from the yard and kitchen and transforming them into a celebration. "They really enjoyed the experience of feeling like little chemists in the kitchen," she adds.

The color additives in foods certified by the Food and Drug Administration are FD&C Blue 1, FD&C Blue 2, FD&C Green 3, Orange B, Citrus Red 2, FD&C Red 3, FD&C Red 40, FD&C Yellow 5 and FD&C Yellow 6. The dyes, which used to be derived from coal tar, are now made from petroleum.

Citing the CSPI's concerns, two North Carolina women petitioned Kraft to remove Yellow 5 and Yellow 6 from the U.S. version of its popular Macaroni & Cheese. Vani Hari and Lisa Leake created a petition March 5 on the social action website Change.org, asking the company to offer the version sold in the U.K., which uses natural colors. By Friday, the petition had more than 266,000 signatures.

The FDA conducted extensive safety reviews of the yellow dyes, spokeswoman Patricia El-Hinnawy said in an e-mail.

The agency "requires labeling of FD&C Yellow No. 5 under the list of ingredients, as it may cause allergy-like symptoms in a small subset of the population. FD&C No. 6 must also be labeled in most foods, with a few exceptions including butter, cheese, and ice cream.

"The law requires that most foods containing a certified color additive declare the color additive as an ingredient by name on the product label, providing consumers the necessary information to avoid food products with these color additives if they need or choose to do so," she added.

Joseph Borzelleca, a member of the Society of Toxicology, says artificial food colors pose no safety risks when used at levels approved by the FDA.

Borzelleca, a professor emeritus of the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, says he has heard of hyperactivity concerns about food colors. But "I have not seen any carefully controlled study confirming that food colors cause adverse effects."

Recent research suggests that a food dye can be absorbed in a way that poses more risks than previously thought.

Ingested dyes are usually degraded by the gastrointestinal system, but this study, in the February issue of the journal Food and Chemical Toxicology, found that FD&C Blue 1 has the potential to enter the bloodstream from the saliva through the tongue.

The study, conducted by researchers at Slovak University of Technology in Slovakia, says the blue dye may inhibit cellular respiration, a process in which cells release energy from the chemical bonds of food molecules. The finding raises concerns because children repeatedly lick lollipops with that dye.

The FDA monitors reports of problems linked to color additives. You can call your local FDA consumer complaint coordinator.

How to make natural dyes for Easter eggs

To cook up fun for Easter, hop into the kitchen and use items from the fridge and pantry to create natural dye baths to color hard-boiled eggs.

Among the possibilities: annatto seeds, blueberries, coffee, grape juice, green tea powder, paprika and turmeric. For all colors below, soak hard-boiled eggs in the dye bath overnight in the refrigerator.

(For hard-boiled eggs, bring eggs and water to a full boil. Turn off the heat. Cover the pan and let the eggs soak for 14-17 minutes. Cool the eggs with cold water.)

• Orange — Add 2 tablespoons of annatto seeds to a cup of boiling water with a teaspoon of vinegar. Let simmer for 10 minutes. Strain the seeds.

• Faint pink — Add a can of sliced beets to 2 cups of boiling water with a teaspoon of vinegar. Let simmer for 10 minutes. Strain the beets.

• Blue — Add a cup of blueberries to 2 cups of boiling water with a teaspoon of vinegar. Let simmer for 10 minutes. Strain the blueberries.

• Brown — Add a teaspoon of vinegar to a cup of hot coffee. The stronger the coffee, the darker the dye.

• Purple -- Add a teaspoon of vinegar to a cup of boiling grape juice.

• Light green — Add 2 tablespoons of green tea powder to a cup of boiling water with a teaspoon of vinegar. Let simmer for 10 minutes.

• Light orange — Add a tablespoon of paprika powder to a cup of boiling water with a teaspoon of vinegar.

• Bright yellow — Add a tablespoon of turmeric powder to a cup of boiling water with a teaspoon of vinegar.

Tip: To speed the drying of eggs, wave a hair blow dryer over them.

Baby formula shortage continues: 8 tips to safely feed an infant

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As if having a newborn during a pandemic isn’t hard enough, ongoing formula shortages have thrust new parents into a state of panic.

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Why is there a baby formula shortage?

In February Abbott Nutrition recalled their Similac, Alimentum and EleCare formulas after four infants fell ill and two infants died, leading to concerns about bacterial contamination in the Michigan facility. Abbott supplies 46.2% of the U.S. supply of baby formula, and about one-quarter was historically produced at the Michigan plant.

After a review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Abbott voluntarily shut down the plant. This week it announced plans to restart production on June 4 and will prioritize EleCare formula, which is hypoallergenic and critical for infants and children who have severe food allergies or gastrointestinal disorders.

►Baby formula shortage worsens: President Biden promises to fix baby formula shortage with new plan

Not surprisingly, bare shelves at stores across the U.S. are causing parents of infants to worry. If you find yourself looking at low levels of baby formula at home, we are here to help. We spoke with experts to help get you through this crisis to find the best possible means to keep your baby healthy and fed.

1. Shop beyond the grocery store

A bare grocery store shelf may cause a sense of panic, but know that your local grocery isn’t the only place to buy or find infant formula. You may be surprised to find a better supply at convenience store chains, local pharmacies and baby specialty stores in your area.

Manufacturer websites often have information on where to find stock, so you can usually even check before you make the drive.

If all else fails, you can also order infant formula directly from the manufacturer. Most manufacturers seem to have full stock and can even offer discounts on subscription orders, to ensure you never run out.

2. Ask your pediatrician for assistance

According to Adam Barsella, a pediatrician at Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital in Winfield, Illinois, your own pediatrician will likely have a host of solutions for you, should you be unable to find your preferred brand of baby formula.

“Your pediatrician should be able to triage and troubleshoot for you,” he says.

If your baby requires a specialized formula, your pediatrician can call in for medical requests to get them exactly what they need.

Barsella also says that most pediatricians' offices can help in the event of an emergency.

“Most have a [variety of samples] and a stock of products for children of complex needs. They don’t have enough supply to feed all of their patients, but, if you are waiting on a formula order, your pediatrician can help you make it through,” says Barsella.

3. Try a new baby formula brand

As new moms know, there is a lot of brand loyalty when it comes to baby formula. Changing baby formulas can be scary and can cause varying issues if it's done too rapidly, but know that trying a new formula can be done safely. According to Barsella, you may actually find a brand you like even better than the one you previously pledged loyalty to.

It's important to consult your pediatrician about how to make the transition easier on your baby's delicate digestive system, but that doesn't mean that transitioning to another brand isn't an option to explore. Talk with your baby's pediatrician about options and alternatives, which they can guide you through.

"Most people think they have to stick with the formula they are currently using, but every brand likely has a version you can use, and it's very easy to switch [with guidance]. Even if your baby has a sensitivity there is plenty of room to move up or down on the spectrum of formula," says Barsella.

The FDA has released a list of approved and readily available baby formulas to help you find the perfect fit for your baby. Here are some places that have a large stock of formula brands available online:

4. Start your baby on solid foods

You should continue feeding with formula until your baby turns 1 year old, but if your child is over six months you can start to supplement nutrition with some solids.

The CDC recommends that you introduce one solid at a time to monitor for food intolerance and allergies. A good place to start is with fortified cereal, mashed bananas or avocado, or even well-cooked and puréed meat, poultry and beans.

5. Give breastmilk a try

While we are aware that many families use formula because they either need to supplement, can't breastfeed or prefer not to, your own breast milk isn't the only option for your baby. There are breast milk banks that can provide safe, pasteurized breast milk for your baby.

Informal breast milk sharing—even between friends and community members—is not recommended for health and safety reasons, so it's best to consult a regulated breast milk bank.

To find a milk bank, you can contact your nearest Human Milk Banking Association of America location. If they don’t have a milk bank near you they can help you find a licensed location to access breast milk that has been thoroughly vetted for safety.

6. Never make your own baby formula

There has been an uptick in online searches for how to make baby formula, but all experts agree, this is one thing you should never feed your baby.

The American Academy of Pediatrics and the Food and Drug Administration both caution parents against making their own baby formula. Infants have very specific nutritional needs, which require a very specific balance of hydration and nutritional density.

Commercially manufactured infant formulas are carefully regulated to ensure that they deliver a specific balance of vitamins, minerals, protein, fats and carbohydrates, mimicking what is found in breast milk.

The FDA regulates commercial formulas for safety, both in the ingredients used and in the manufacturing process. There's no way to guarantee the purity and safety of store-bought ingredients and the multi-step process that is often taken to make homemade formula opens the final product up to bacterial contamination.

"Unless you're a chemist, this isn't something you should do at home," says Barsella. "I understand it's stressful out there, but it's very difficult to balance out all of the calories and nutrients that a child under 1-year-old will need without causing problems."

►Related: What are safe substitutes for baby formula? Amid worsening shortage, avoid homemade recipes

7. Do not dilute baby formula

If you're running low on supply, you may be tempted to dilute the formula you have on hand. Barsella cautions caregivers to never dilute breast milk.

Extra water can be dangerous to babies. Diluting formula or breastmilk can interfere with an infant's ability to absorb nutrients. This can cause seizures, brain damage and—in extreme cases—death.

"This is one of the reasons parents shouldn’t make their own formula, but it extends to diluting what they have," says Barsella, adding that an imbalance of water and nutrients can cause serious neurological issues down the road.

"A more diluted formula might seem like a good idea as a short-term solution, but it can result in lifelong neurological issues for the baby. It's better to find another resource for feeding your baby the nutrients they require," says Barsella.

8. Skip the baby formula substitutes

While it may be tempting to try goat milk or other milk alternatives in place of baby formula, know that—unless your child is old enough to drink cow's milk and you are looking for an alternative—it's not considered safe to swap cow or goat milk for formula.

The concentration of proteins in each can cause severe dehydration in babies and can result in hospitalization.

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Labels sought for genetically modified food

Dan D’Ambrosio

USA TODAY

More states taking on the issue

Vermont%2C Connecticut%2C Washington have advanced legislation

Agriculture increasingly turning to genetically altered crops

From Maine to Washington, a growing number of states are taking on the issue of genetically engineered foods, fanning the flames of a decades-old debate about whether the products are dangerous to human health.

This month, Connecticut became the first state to pass a law requiring the labeling of food made from genetically modified organisms (GMOs). In May, the Vermont House passed a similar bill, which will now be taken up by the Senate. Right to Know GMO , a self-described grass-roots coalition with members in 37 states, counts 26 states that have introduced labeling bills.

In Washington state, a referendum on GMO labeling is scheduled for November. Last November, a referendum in California failed 53-47 after the biotech industry spent nearly $45 million on opposition ads.

At the federal level, Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., introduced a bill in April – separate from the farm bill – that would direct the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to "clearly label" genetically engineered foods. Boxer notes she has 11 co-sponsors of the bill, which she first introduced in 2000. Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., introduced the House version.

Boxer also attached two amendments to the farm bill, one saying that the United States should join the 64 other nations, including those in the European Union, that have labeling requirements for genetically engineered foods. The other amendment requires a report in six months from several federal agency heads reviewing the labeling methods used internationally, and the "probable impacts" of having differing labeling requirements passed by states rather than a federal standard.

"As more and more states take action, I believe lawmakers in Washington will realize that Congress and the FDA must ensure that all Americans know what's in the food they're eating," Boxer said in an e-mail.

"The companies have such complete control over who can do independent research into the nature of these things and their impact that we really don't know very much," said Andrea Stander, executive director of Rural Vermont, a non-profit farm advocacy group. "We don't know nearly as much as we should."

The FDA ruled in 1992 that genetically engineered foods are not "materially different" from their traditional counterparts and therefore do not have to be labeled, a ruling opponents of GMOs won't accept.

Monsanto, based in St. Louis, Mo., is a leading supplier of seeds for genetically engineered crops to farmers in the United States and around the world, and a frequent target of protests against GMOs. The company has clearly stated why it is opposed to labeling, saying mandatory labeling "could imply that food products containing these ingredients are somehow inferior to their conventional or organic counterparts."

About 90% of the corn, cotton, soybeans and sugar beets grown in the United States are genetically engineered, according to BIO, the trade group representing Monsanto, Bayer, Dow, DuPont and other giant firms that dominate the industry.

The modifications to the DNA of seeds, which started in the mid-1990s, fall into two categories: seeds that have built-in genetic resistance to insects, forgoing the need for insecticides, and seeds that tolerate herbicides, making it possible to spray crops, such as soy beans, that are prone to weeds.

Genetic engineering is the fastest growing technology in the history of agriculture, with upward of 17 million farmers around the world using genetically altered seeds, BIO spokeswoman Karen Batra said.

The problem with requiring labels on genetically engineered foods, Batra said, is that they would imply those foods are unsafe.

"In the United States, food packaging labels are reserved to convey food safety information about allergens that might be in a food or to convey nutritional composition," she said. "If the federal government were to mandate by law that a particular food product needed to be labeled that would infer it would be for a safety reason."

D'Ambrosio also reports for The Burlington (Vt.) Free Press