NEW YORK - Some foods frequently eaten by babies and toddlers contain fluoride, not listed as an ingredient, that can damage children's teeth, according to the September, 2001, Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. Because fluoride is added to most U.S. water supplies and that water is used to process foods that feed and water farm animals, sometimes fluoride shows up in the strangest places. Swallowed fluoride stores in bones as well as teeth. Meat removed from bones by a machine invariably grinds bone powder into the finished product. So mechanically separated meats, especially chicken, have much more fluoride than most foods because they contain fluoride-rich bone dust. Fluoride is added to water supplies to reduce tooth decay "There is, however, a narrow range between beneficial and undesirable effects of fluoride intake," write Oregon State University researchers Fein and Cerklewski, authors of "Fluoride Content of Foods Made with Mechanically Separated Chicken." "Fluoride contributed by foods made with mechanically separated chicken could increase the risk of mild dental fluorosis for children less than eight years of age when combined with other sources of fluoride exposure," conclude Fein and Cerklewski The researchers tested pureed chicken, chicken sticks, vienna sausage and luncheon meat, made with mechanically separated chicken and turkey, for fluoride content. One small jar of baby food, they found, made with mechanically separated chicken, delivers more fluoride than a 6-month-old child should receive in an entire day and, therefore, puts that child at risk of developing dental fluorosis. A one-year-old toddler could receive all his/her daily fluoride allotment from one serving of chicken sticks made with mechanically separated chicken. To avoid fluorosis (white spotted, yellow or brown stained permanent teeth) the National Academy of Science advises the following daily fluoride "adequate intake" from all sources (food, air, water, medicines, and supplements):

• infants up to 6 months old - less than 0.01 mg
• babies from 6 - 12 months - less than 0.5 mg
• children from 1 to 3 years old - less than 0.7 mg
• children from 4 to 8 years old - less than 1 mg

Fein and Cerklewski found:

• A single serving (71 g or 2.5 ounces) of mechanically separated pureed chicken baby food contained 0.6 mg fluoride.
• A single jar (71g) of chicken sticks could provide 0.4 mg of fluoride,
• One serving (71g) of luncheon meat containing mechanically separated chicken could provide as much as 0.45 mg of fluoride for a child.
• Mechanically separated turkey meat had much lower fluoride levels because turkey bones are much harder to crush.

"A desirable level of fluoride intake could, therefore, be exceeded on a recurring basis when combined with other sources of fluoride intake such as fluoridated water, foods made with fluoridated water, and swallowing of fluoridated toothpaste." write authors, Fein and Cerklewski. "Results...demonstrate that foods labeled as containing mechanically separated chicken contain high concentrations of fluoride in contrast to foods in general which contain 0.3 micrograms fluoride (per gram of food)." write the authors.

"This study adds to a growing body of research exposing the unanticipated glut of fluoride adulterating our food and beverage supply because of water fluoridation." says Paul Beeber, President and General Counsel, New York State Coalition Opposed to Fluoridation.

According to Clemson University, mechanically deboned poultry no longer is required to be labeled as such and could simply be listed in the ingredients statement as "chicken" or "turkey."

New York State Coalition Opposed to Fluoridaton nyscof@aol.com
Web sites:
http://www.orgsites.com/ny/nyscof and http://www.enn.com/direct/display-by-affiliate.asp?id=1765