Aluminium in formula milk 'a risk to babies'

Formula baby milk can contain 40 times more aluminium than breast milk, potentially putting the toddlers' health at risk, researchers have warned.

Traces of the metal in milk from some of the UK's leading products were found to be as much as 16 times higher than is legally allowed in water.

One formula - specifically marketed for premature babies - had the highest level of aluminium of all, scientists at Keele University found.

Previous research has linked the metal to neurological diseases, bone defects and dementia in later life.

Manufacturers say they do not add aluminium to their products, but many formulas are often packaged in aluminium foil. It occurs naturally in soya plants due to the acidic soil they are grown in.

Experts are now calling for manufacturers to dramatically lower the amount of aluminium that ends up in their products or make them print the aluminium level they contain so parents can make an informed choice on which formula to buy.

Dr Chris Exley, who led the study, said: "We've known about the high aluminium content in infant formula for many years and there is evidence to show it is potentially quite dangerous.

"It has been linked to neurological diseases and bone defects in later life and there are even links with dementia.

"Everyone has aluminium in their bodies but infants are especially prone to absorbing it and are not so good at getting rid of it."Dr Exley and his team tested 16 of the UK's leading formula milk brands for children up to the age of one and were "shocked" at what they found.