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Despite years of research confirming the harmful effects of toxic heavy metals, think lead and mercury in our children.

There's currently no federal requirement to test finished baby food products for the contaminants.

Congressman Frank Pallone is looking to change that.

He's one of several federal lawmakers backing a new bill urging the U.S. government to mandate testing.

Melissa Rose Cooper reports.

Here in 2021, approximately 14% of New Jersey's child population was living under the federal poverty level.

And in 2020, around 9% faced food insecurity.

The stress of securing food should not be an added burden on households already facing numerous challenges.

Yet it's a challenge many families across New Jersey face.

Nearly two years ago, after a nationwide shortage of baby formula due to bacterial contamination left parents struggling to feed their babies.

So child advocates are planning a new bill known as the Infants Act, aimed at ensuring food safety for infants and toddlers.

Every parent deserves the right to make an informed choices for their children's health without stress or worry of scarcity.

Access to essential nutrition for our newborns should not be a difficult task for any family.

This act aims to prevent another formula shortage for our youngest children, easing the burden on our families and providing families with a with viable options to secure the health and growth of our youngest community members.

Congressman Frank Pallone says his decision to introduce the bill is a response to the lack of a federal mandate requiring the FDA to enforce manufacturer testing of finished baby foods, including formula for toxic heavy metals and other contaminants.

The bill would require that owners and operators of manufacturing facilities of food marketed for the consumption of infants and toddlers like applesauce, for example, conduct sampling and testing for contaminants like lead, cadmium, mercury and arsenic, and submit a written sampling plan to the FDA with accessible records for inspection.

Critical steps, advocates say, are needed since contaminants like lead and mercury are naturally found in soil where plants are grown and can make their way into food.

That about 10,000 babies today will start to eat solid food.

And while we can't completely eliminate the toxic metals, Congressman Pallone mentioned lead cadmium, mercury, arsenic from our baby food.

Our food companies can do a lot more to reduce the presence of these toxic metals that harm our babies brains and lower IQ.

And and the same companies can also do a lot more to reduce the risk of these pathogens like Cronobacter in infant formula.

This topic that's actually plagued our community for quite a long time, it's affecting our most families that need the most support that are working the hardest.

And even recently, you brought up the Nutramigen thing.

I've had a family yesterday call me saying there's no Nutramigen available and what should I do?

And they you know, they rely on the WIC getting services from the WIC.

It's not that simple for our families.

And Nutramigen is a formula that is actually very specific.

So there is medical indications for this.

And so now this family can't find formula and this baby needs this formula.

So these are reasons that I strongly support that we need further support for these families and making sure that these formulas, these foods are, you know, appropriately tested so we don't end up having these situations.

All steps to ensure children have safe food to eat while also providing families with peace of mind.

For Spotlight News.

I'm Melissa Rose Cooper.