{"id":2969,"date":"2026-06-09T05:04:43","date_gmt":"2026-06-09T05:04:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tampamovingjournal.com\/?p=2969"},"modified":"2026-06-09T05:04:43","modified_gmt":"2026-06-09T05:04:43","slug":"state-data-on-infant-formula-safety-raises-questions-following-expert-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tampamovingjournal.com\/?p=2969","title":{"rendered":"State data on infant formula safety raises questions following expert review"},"content":{"rendered":"

TALLAHASSEE, Fla.<\/strong> – <\/span>The Florida Department of Health recently raised public safety concerns regarding heavy metals in baby formula.<\/p>

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Heavy Metals in Baby Formula<\/h2>

What we know:<\/p>

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During a press conference on January 9, 2026, First Lady Casey DeSantis announced that the state tested 24 infant formulas, claiming that 16 of them contained heavy metals\u2014such as arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury\u2014that exceeded federal standards.<\/p>

Florida Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo warned that these contaminants could cause neurodevelopmental injuries and damage to major organs.<\/p>

Dr. Ladapo said that the state used the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) safe water drinking standards as the benchmark for testing the formulas. The state subsequently published a scorecard, placing a red-circled letter on products it claimed exceeded these maximum limits.<\/p>

Questions Raised About State\u2019s Methodology<\/h2>

The other side:<\/p>

Independent experts have raised questions about the state’s methodology and the accuracy of its published results.<\/p>

Dr. Marie Bourgeois, a toxicologist and chemistry professor at the University of South Florida (USF), noted that infant formula is considered food, and the EPA’s safe water drinking standards are designed for testing drinking water.<\/p>

She noted that while powdered formulas are mixed with water, the products themselves should be evaluated based on food safety standards.<\/p>

Dr. Bourgeois also pointed out that federal maximum limits typically relate to chronic, long-term exposure, rather than daily limits. After reviewing the state’s data, she described the findings as mathematically flawed and inconsistent.<\/p>

“Without being able to see anything about what testing methods they use, the number of samples, all of the study setup, I can’t say that I would rely on it,” Dr. Bourgeois said.<\/p>

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Mathematical Errors and Inconsistencies<\/strong><\/h2>

By the numbers:<\/p>

A review of the state’s published data by FOX 13 Chief Investigator Craig Patrick revealed several apparent mathematical errors and inconsistencies in how the state flagged products:<\/p>

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