Toxic baby food awareness bill passes unanimously out of the IL Senate

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) — A bill that would help parents know what toxic heavy metals are in their babies food passed unanimously out of the Senate floor.

The plan would require manufacturers to monthly test their baby products for lead, mercury, arsenic and cadmium. After the test, the company would have to provide the heavy metal levels on the packaging.

While lead and mercury are commonly known for being toxic, few people understand the dangers of arsenic, an element used in WW1 to create toxic gas, and cadmium, which is commonly found in pesticides. All these heavy metals are known to cause cancer and chronic disease in high doses.

State Sen. Laura Fine (D-Glenview) at the Senate floor said not enough people know these toxic elements are being fed to their babies.

"When feeding your baby you want to be sure your child is receiving the healthiest nutrition possible," Fine said. "However, parents may not realize that in some cases, the baby food they're feeding their child contains dangerous levels of heavy metals."

The proposal passed unanimously out of the Senate on a 52-0 vote. It now heads to the House floor where lawmakers could talk about it in the coming weeks.