Smooth operators

New manufacturers are producing an organic baby-food bonanza

By Liz Crain

January 26, 2007

Gone are the days when the only baby food available on store shelves was drab, processed mush. These days, many parents either make their own baby vittles at home with seasonal produce or buy frozen organic baby food at local markets.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the pesticides used in conventional farming are substantially more toxic to children than to adults. Children’s underdeveloped organs are more vulnerable to toxic chemicals. And children also typically eat more fruits and vegetables (both of which usually contain more pesticides than other types of foods) than adults.

New government-funded research shows that children who switch from conventional baby food to organic baby food immediately experience a dramatic plunge in detectable internal pesticides.