Rocket Fuel Found In Baby Formula

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control has found a rocket fuel chemical within some baby formula, according to a report by the Environmental Working Group. At least 15 brands of baby formula contained traces of the chemical, known as perchlorate.

Rocket Fuel in Baby Formula

The data comes from a CDC report published last month and discovered by the EWG this week. The report does not identify the specific brands of baby formula affected, but it does say the same chemical is found in 28 states’ drinking water.

“The little-noticed CDC findings, published in the March 2009 edition of the Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology, raise new concerns about perchlorate pollution, a legacy of Cold War rocket and missile tests,” the EWG says. “Studies have established that the chemical is a potent thyroid toxin that may interfere with fetal and infant brain development.”

Perchlorate Effects

Thus far, tests have not conclusively shown health problems resulting from the rocket fuel chemical. Still, certain amounts of it are believed to have an effect on thyroid functioning, which can lead to issues with babies’ brain development.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has been looking at imposing limits on the levels of perchlorate that can legally be in drinking water. The EWG is calling for “prompt” action to make that happen.

You can read the full EWG report, including steps you can take to contact lawmakers and support the organization’s efforts, here.