The European Food Safety Authority’s expert panel on contaminants (CONTAM Panel) published a position paper on how too much lead in food can affect a child’s development.
Information provided on the EFSA website says: "The opinion concludes that current levels of exposure to lead pose a low to negligible health risk for most adults but there is potential concern over possible neurodevelopmental effects in young children."
The research group noted lower IQs in children and increased blood pressure in adults. They conclude that lead exposure causes adverse effects on the neurological development of fetuses, infants and children.
The report also explains: "The CONTAM Panel considered cereals, vegetables and tap water to contribute most to dietary exposure to lead for most Europeans. Non-dietary exposure to lead was considered to be of minor importance to adults, although house dust and soil can be important sources of exposure for children."
It was previously thought that a weekly dose of 25 micrograms of lead per kilogram of body weight was acceptable. Experts now reject that recommendation. They say it is impossible to clearly establish an acceptable threshold that holds no risk.