The multi-national food and pharmaceutical firm was responding to research from Keele University that concluded many major infant formula brands tested were “significantly contaminated” with aluminium. Concentrations of the metal detected were up to 40 times higher than are present in breast milk and several times higher than are allowed in drinking water, said lead researcher Dr Chris Exley.
Pfizer is the parent company of SMA Nutrition – whose products were included in the survey of 15 infant formulas as part of the study. Cow & Gate, HIPP Organic and Aptamil were the other brands. Pfizer said that no aluminium was added to its products as part of the manufacturing process and that the metal was present naturally in many foodstuffs, cooking utensils and packaging.
Study findings
The research found that concentrations of the metal ranged from ca 176 to 700 µg/L in ready-made milks – with the highest concentration found in a product for pre-term babies. Consumption of these milk formulas would result in the ingestion of up to 600 µg of aluminium a day, said the team. Aluminium levels in SMA's First Infant Milk and Follow-on Milk were among the lowest of those tested.
The team also discovered that powders used to make milk contained aluminium levels from around 2.4 to 4.3 µg/g. The lower level of 2.4 µg/g was the reading for SMA First Infant Milk, while the latter reading was for SMA Wysoy Soya Infant Formula - equating to a ready-to-drink concentration of 333 and 629 µg/L respectively, said the study.
Number one priority
Responding to the study, which Pfizer described as “small”, the company stressed that safety was its number one concern and that it rigorously scrutinised levels of aluminium in its infant formulas to ensure they adhered to all international standards.
“It is important for consumers to know that Pfizer Nutrition does not add aluminium to its products,” a company spokeswoman told FoodProductionDaily.com. “Aluminium is naturally-occurring in the environment and is present in many fruits, vegetables, packaged foods, beverages and water, as well as in cooking pans and foils.”
She added: “The safety of our products is our number one priority. We follow stringent international guidelines regarding the production of our formula. We monitor aluminium regularly as part of a rigorous surveillance program to safeguard our products. We also adhere to regulatory limits established in the countries in which we operate.”
Pfizer said it would carefully review the authors’ methodology, results and conclusions to determine how it fits into the existing body of literature on this topic.
The British Specialist Nutrition Association (BSNA) – a trade association body of which Pfizer Nutrition and Danone are the only two members – said monitoring by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) had shown their members' products to be safe and within Tolerable Weekly Intake levels established in 2008. The TWI is a conservative safety level that applies to all ages, it added.
“In the light of this new data our members will continue to analyse and monitor their products and work with the authorities to ensure that their formulas continue to be within the safety limit,” said the body. “Parents can be reassured that their advice and the advice of the FSA is that there is no need to change their baby’s feed.”