Schu to FDA: Get the lead out of baby food

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer demanded a federal probe on Sunday into a “very, very troubling” report that baby-food products are contaminated with lead and other toxic metals.

The New York Democrat called on the Food and Drug Administration to respond to a study that tested 168 containers of baby food and found 95 percent contained traces of lead, arsenic, mercury or cadmium.

Worse yet, one quarter of the tested samples — which covered 13 food types and 61 brands — contained all four toxins, according to the study released Thursday by Healthy Babies Bright Futures.

“The report is very, very troubling,” Schumer said outside the BuyBuy Baby store in Chelsea.

“Now, we all know how bad lead can hurt a toddler, but when it’s a little baby, it’s even worse.

“When these toxic metals get into a baby’s nervous system, it can retard brain development, nerve development, the very kind of things we’ve seen [with] lead.”

Schumer called on the FDA to establish standard maximums for dangerous compounds in baby food and develop a proactive program for testing them.

“Parents across the land should worry about teaching their children the ABC’s, not worry about what’s in their baby’s food, but now they have to worry because we’re sitting on our hands,” he said.

The senator also slammed the Trump administration for leaving the FDA without a formal leader since former Commissioner Scott Gottlieb stepped down in April.

“The FDA doesn’t even answer these days,” Schumer said. “They don’t even have a director at this point. Most of these regulatory agencies — and what can be more important than the food and drugs that we take? — have been sliced back. They can’t do the job they should be doing.”

The FDA, currently helmed by acting Commissioner Norman Sharpless, did not respond to a request for comment.