Safety of Organic Baby Food Questioned

April 2008

A Wisconsin-based farm policy group, the Cornucopia Institute, claims that organic baby formula uses ingredients that are prohibited by federal regulations. The group says that the ingredients, omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids called DHA and ARA, are linked to side effects such as diarrhea and vomiting.

DHA and ARA are commonly found in baby food formula and are promoted as ingredients that encourage eye and brain development in infants – a claim that Cornucopia is challenging. Cornucopia asserts that DHA and ARA should not be considered organic because they are extracted from algae and fungus using a toxic solvent called hexane. It says that organic regulations ban the use of hexane in processing organic foods and their ingredients.

Cornucopia is asking the U.S. Department of Agriculture to remove all organic products containing DHA and ARA from stores, and to prohibit companies from using the ingredients in items that are labeled organic. The manufacturer of the ingredients, Martek Biosciences, says that there is no evidence that DHA and ARA are linked to adverse side effects. Both fatty acids are found naturally in breast milk.