FDA Issues Draft Guidance on Cadmium Action Levels in Processed Food for Babies and Young Children
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced on October 23 a draft guidance titled "Action Levels for Cadmium in Processed Food Intended for Babies and Young Children," which will establish action levels for cadmium in certain processed foods intended for children less than 2 years old. The FDA said the draft guidance is intended to set achievable action levels that will help further reduce cadmium in the food supply.
Cadmium is a heavy metal present in the environment that can enter the food chain through soil and water, and infants and young children are a focus of regulatory attention because of their low body weight and developmental stage. The document was released as draft guidance through a Federal Register notice; it is not final and is not yet in effect.
The same week, the FDA also announced a new draft chapter, Chapter 12 on control of chemical hazards, as part of its multichapter draft guidance on hazard analysis and risk-based preventive controls for human food. That guidance is likewise a draft and not yet in effect.
The cadmium draft was among several FDA actions in the week of October 19 to 23, which also included drug approvals and food safety guidance announcements listed by the agency.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 婴儿辅食勺与碗（资料图）。MAKY.OREL 摄，CC0，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / A baby feeding spoon and bowl (file photo). Photo by MAKY.OREL, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
