GLP podcast: Lead in Lunchables? Dismantling Consumer Reports’ latest chemical scare

“Should You Pack Lunchables for Your Kid’s School Lunch?” Consumer Reports asked rhetorically in a recent headline. “CR’s tests found the lunch kits … contained lead and other contaminants, and most were high in sodium.” What followed this misleading introduction was a long-form essay chock-full of critically flawed assertions dressed up in scientific language, all designed to scare parents away from foods that, consumed in moderation, are perfectly safe for their children to eat.

A careful look at the latest research and the application of a little common sense shows America’s food supply, Lunchables included, isn’t contaminated by harmful levels of lead, sodium or any other chemical. As one toxicologist observed after reviewing CR’s findings, “Parents have a lot [of problems] to worry about, but lead or phthalates in Lunchables should not be one of them.”

Join hosts Dr. Liza Dunn and GLP contributor Cameron English on episode 275 of Science Facts and Fallacies as they break down the science around lead in lunchables:

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Dr. Liza Dunn is a medical toxicologist and the medical affairs lead at Bayer Crop Science. Follow her on X @DrLizaMD

Cameron J. English is the director of bio-sciences at the American Council on Science and Health. Visit his website and follow him on X @camjenglish