Healthy Baby Food
10 Years of Testing Baby Foods for Toxic Heavy Metals – and What Parents Can Do About It
For more than a decade, we’ve tested the foods babies eat for toxic heavy metals, including arsenic, lead, cadmium, and mercury. These potent neurotoxins can permanently affect a child’s developing brain, lower IQ, and contribute to learning and behavioral problems.
Our research has revealed a troubling reality: 95% of baby foods tested are contaminated with at least one of these harmful metals. Our findings sparked a Congressional investigation that uncovered “dangerous levels” of toxic heavy metals in baby foods and led to the creation of the FDA’s Closer to Zero initiative. We also found that homemade baby food is just as likely to be contaminated as store-bought options.
Just as importantly, we’ve identified simple, practical steps that parents can take to reduce their child’s exposure at home — changes that can make a real difference.
In our May 2025 study, we turned our attention to rice — the most widely-consumed solid food in the world and the number one dietary source of arsenic for children. We tested the most common rice types served at home, as well as alternative grains, to find actionable, effective strategies to help families reduce exposures. Our findings show that protecting children from arsenic and other heavy metals in rice isn’t just possible — it’s essential, and entirely within our reach.
Our Reports
Explore our groundbreaking studies on heavy metals in foods babies eat: what we found, what it means for your child, and easy steps you can take to reduce exposure.
Report: What’s In Your Family’s Rice?
Arsenic, cadmium, and lead are found in popular rice brands — plus 9 safer grains to try.
Executive Summary
While significant progress has been made to reduce arsenic levels in infant rice cereal over the past decade, no similar progress has been made for rice itself, even though it is the top source of arsenic in young children’s diets, and a major concern during pregnancy.
3 Tips to Protect Your Family from Arsenic and Cadmium in Rice
A few simple changes can help lower your family’s exposure. Tip sheets are available in English, Spanish, and Chinese.
Report: Is Homemade Baby Food Better?
Healthy Babies Bright Futures’ new study tested if homemade baby food is better than store-bought.
Six Tips to Reduce Babies’ Heavy Metals Exposures
Six tips to reduce babies’ exposures to toxic heavy metals in their diet.
Summary: Is Homemade Baby Food Better?
A summary of our new investigation comparing toxic heavy metal contamination in homemade versus store-bought foods.
Letter to the FDA
Strengthening and promoting FDA initiatives to better protect pregnant women and infants from mercury and arsenic pollution in food.
Report: What's In My Baby's Food?
Our investigation found 95% of baby foods tested contain toxic chemicals that lower babies’ IQ, including arsenic and lead.
Summary: What's In My Baby's Food?
We found that 95% of baby foods tested contain toxic chemicals that lower babies’ IQ, including arsenic and lead.
5 Safer Baby Foods - Parent Tip Sheets
Baby Foods with Arsenic and Lead— and Safer Choices. Tip sheets are available in English and in Spanish.
Report: Arsenic in 9 Brands of Infant Cereal
Our study found 6 times more arsenic in infant rice cereal than in other infant cereals.
Executive Summary
A national survey of arsenic contamination in 105 cereals from leading brands. Including best choices for parents, manufacturers and retailers seeking healthy options for infants.
8 Ways to Protect Your Family from Arsenic Contamination
8 Simple Ways to Protect Your Family from Arsenic Contamination in Rice and Other Foods. Tip sheets available in English and in Spanish.
What can be done?
Federal action to protect children from these common food contaminants is both necessary and achievable. As science continues to reveal the lasting effects of chronic heavy metal exposure, the FDA can make a meaningful difference for families. In the meantime, parents can choose and prepare foods that significantly reduce babies’ exposures.
The FDA should establish and enforce protective limits for heavy metals in all foods consumed by babies and young children — not just baby food brands but also fresh and family-style foods babies eat. Heavy metals contamination spans all the food aisles of the grocery store.
The FDA’s multi-year timeline to limit lead, arsenic and other heavy metals in baby food has significant repercussions for infants. Nearly 10,000 babies in the U.S. begin eating solid food every day. Each day that passes has an impact, as children ingest metals that harm neurological development.
Learn More
Learn more about each study below.
Research continues to confirm risks for babies from these exposures to heavy metals, including lifelong deficits in intelligence. Despite the risks, with few exceptions there are no specific limits for toxic heavy metals in baby food.
- Four popular foods consumed by babies are so heavily contaminated by heavy metals that we recommend avoiding them altogether.
- Fourteen foods have little contamination and can be served freely. Twenty-two foods have moderate to relatively high amounts of heavy metals, to be eaten rarely or in rotation with other foods. For some of these foods, preparation matters — peeling and cooking can lower the heavy metal content.
- Twenty-two foods have moderate to relatively high amounts of heavy metals, to be eaten rarely or in rotation with other foods. For some of these foods, preparation matters — peeling and cooking can lower the heavy metal content.
We found toxic heavy metals in 95% of foods tested. One in four baby foods contained all four metals assessed by our testing lab: arsenic, lead, cadmium, and mercury.
These four harmful metals are found in all food – not just baby food. Crops absorb them from soil and water, and they are even found in organic food. Their presence in baby food raises unique concern, because babies are more sensitive to the toxic impacts.
Some popular baby foods have higher levels, like rice-based snacks, juice, and sweet potatoes. Parents can make five safer baby food choices for 80% less toxic metal residue.
Our 2017 study found 6 times more arsenic in infant rice cereal than in other infant cereals. What it means for babies’ health: Arsenic causes cancer and permanently reduces children’s learning ability. Rice cereal is babies’ top source of arsenic exposure.
Rice readily absorbs arsenic from the environment, about 10 times more of it than other grains. Our study found arsenic in all brands of infant rice cereal tested, and lower levels in all brands of non-rice and multi-grain cereals.
Rice is the most widely consumed solid food worldwide and is a staple food for more than a billion children. Yet for over 25 years, it has also been recognized as a leading dietary source of arsenic, a contaminant associated with health risks that include cancer and harm to the developing brain, including IQ loss.
The tests commissioned for this report found arsenic in 100% of 145 rice samples purchased nationwide. More than one in four exceeded the FDA’s action level for infant cereal, a limit above which the FDA considers the cereal too contaminated to eat.
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