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Committee hears testimony on bill to test baby food for toxic heavy metals; discussion turns to infant formula
Summary
A committee hearing on House Bill 536 focused on requiring ISO/IEC 17025‑accredited laboratories to test baby food monthly for arsenic, cadmium, lead and mercury. Witnesses and lawmakers discussed whether the measure should also cover infant formula and whether Vermont has sufficient food‑testing capacity.
At a committee hearing on House Bill 536, lawmakers heard from Randy Querrey, director of governmental relations for the American Association for Laboratory Accreditation, about how laboratories would verify that baby food is free of toxic heavy metals.
Querrey told the Agriculture, Food Resiliency, & Forestry committee that AA4LA "accredits over 4,500 labs, 4,515 as of this morning" and that the ISO/IEC 17025 standard is the appropriate baseline for testing and calibration. He described the accreditation process, including 2–3 day on‑site assessments, equipment calibration reviews, participation in proficiency testing and ongoing assessor evaluations, and emphasized accreditation is not "a rubber stamp."
The witness said the bill is "well…
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