Into the Mouths of Babes

This briefing by Friends of the Earth International argues that children and unborn babies are disproportionately exposed to and vulnerable to pesticides in food and the home. It criticizes the UK government for a lack of specific legal protections for children and calls for a ban on hormone-disrupting pesticides, the extension of strict pesticide limits to all foods, and a target of 30 per cent organic farmland by 2010.

• Children are more susceptible to pesticide toxicity than adults because their basic systems and organs, such as the reproductive system and brain, are developing rapidly from the womb through early childhood.
• On a weight-for-weight basis, pre-school children have higher exposure levels than adults, consuming twice as many fruit and vegetables, nearly three times as much bread and cereals, and more than five times as much dairy produce.
• Pesticide residues are common in fresh produce; in 2000, 80 per cent of sampled pears contained residues, and nearly half of those contained more than one pesticide, including hormone disruptors.
• The European Union has set a maximum pesticide limit of one part in 100 million for processed baby food and milk formula, but this does not cover the fresh pureed fruit and vegetables that constitute the first solid food for one in five babies.
• While the United States has written special protections for children into pesticide law via the Food Quality Protection Act of 1995, the UK has no such provision despite signing a European declaration on environment and health.
• Hormone disruptors found in food and consumer goods can mimic or block natural hormones, potentially contributing to falling sperm counts and earlier puberty in girls, and can cause problems at very low doses.
• Friends of the Earth is calling for the UK government to implement an action plan to ensure 30 per cent of farmland is organic by 2010.

APA

Friends of the Earth International (2002). Into the Mouths of Babes. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/mouthofbabes.pdf

Chicago

Friends of the Earth International. Into the Mouths of Babes. 2002. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/mouthofbabes.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Friends of the Earth International |title=Into the Mouths of Babes |date=March 2002 |url=https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/mouthofbabes.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{friendsoftheearthinternational2002into, author = {{Friends of the Earth International}}, title = {{Into the Mouths of Babes}}, institution = {Friends of the Earth International}, year = {2002}, month = mar, url = {https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/mouthofbabes.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }