A recent investigation, conducted by the Health Research Institute (HRI) and commissioned by Spotlight on America, uncovered alarming levels of heavy metals and nearly 50 pesticides in school lunches served to children in Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, DC.
Among the harmful chemicals were carbendazim, a fungicide banned in many European countries, known to cause infertility and endocrine disruption, and glyphosate, a widely used weedkiller marketed as Roundup, which is linked to cancer and immune disruption. A single strawberry cup tested contained 23 pesticides, according to the ABC News report.
Even more concerning, 100% of the lunch samples tested positive for lead. HRI Chief Scientist John Fagan noted that lead, “at any level is harmful to children’s IQ.” Some samples contained cadmium, a heavy metal known to increase the risk of lung cancer, at levels 12 times higher than the FDA limit for bottled water. Arsenic in rice was found at levels six times higher than what’s allowed in apple juice.
“The variety and the volume of chemicals that are being introduced in the market every year makes it practically impossible to evaluate the health effects of each and every chemical. … We don’t know what it means to be exposed over time at low levels continuously, especially for developing children.”
– Melissa Perry, George Mason University
Parents need to understand that what their kids are eating at school doesn’t just impact their kids the day they eat that meal, John Fagan said.
“This is something that will affect their whole life because it’s that nutrition that supports the development of their brain and their muscles and every part of their body”
– John Fagan, Chief Scientist and CEO, HRI
Nearly 30 million US children consume school lunches daily, raising serious concerns about their exposure to toxic chemicals. Experts are urging immediate action to protect children from these dangerous substances.
Below is the full list of 49 pesticides detected in school lunches, as referenced in the ABC News report.
- Acetamiprid
- Azoxystrobin
- Bifenazate
- Boscalid
- Buprofezin
- Carbaryl
- Chlorantraniliprole
- Difenoconazole Isomer
- Dimethomorph Isomer
- Dinotefuran
- Fenamidone
- Flonicamid
- Flutriafol
- Imazalil
- Indoxacarb
- Mandipropamid
- Methomyl
- Novaluron
- Tebuconazole
- Thiacloprid
For more information, read the full article here.