Baby food brands contain 'concerning' levels of heavy metals. Homemade may not be better.

Story by Bailey Schulz, USA TODAY • 

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration campus in Silver Spring, Md., is photographed on Oct. 14, 2015.© Andrew Harnik, AP

Heavy metal levels in baby food products appear to be getting lower, but the presence of metals like lead, arsenic and cadmium in various foods continues to be "concerning," according to a study published Tuesday.

Fourteen baby food products were tested by Consumer Reports as a follow-up to the nonprofit consumer organization’s 2018 study. The report found heavy metal levels appeared to be declining in products, but "worrisome levels" were still detected in certain foods, especially rice, sweet potatoes, and snack foods.

But it’s not just ready-made baby foods that contain heavy metals like lead. A 2022 study found similar levels of heavy metals in homemade baby food, too, especially those made from foods like rice and sweet potatoes.

Consumption of heavy metals has been shown to increase the risk of developmental and health problems. The American Academy of Pediatrics has found that even small amounts of lead affect behavior, IQ scores and academic achievement.

"It's hard to get a low lead" level in certain foods, said Mark Corkins, division chief of pediatric gastroenterology, hepatology and nutrition at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. "To be honest, there's nothing that's going to be completely free of any contamination."

Which baby foods contain heavy metals?

Products with rice and sweet potatoes tended to pose the biggest risk, according to Consumer Reports' study, meaning rice-based puffs were among some of the worst offenders. (At least one baby food brand, Beech-Nut, has stopped manufacturing rice products altogether due to "inconsistencies in arsenic levels.")

Other research has also found heavy metals in baby food products. A 2021 congressional report from the House Oversight Committee found high levels of arsenic, lead and cadmium among products sold by various brands, including Gerber, Beech-Nut, Earth's Best Organics maker Hain Celestial and Happy Family Organics maker Nurture Inc.

“Internal company standards permit dangerously high levels of toxic heavy metals, and documents revealed that the manufacturers have often sold foods that exceeded those levels,” the report said.

Is it normal to have heavy metals in baby food?

For parents looking to avoid foods with heavy metals, the solution isn’t as easy as avoiding ready-made products.

A 2022 study from Healthy Babies, Bright Futures ‒ an alliance of nonprofits, scientists and donors ‒ tested 288 foods and found no evidence that homemade baby food has lower heavy metal levels than store-bought brands. Ninety-four percent of both baby foods and homemade and family brands were contaminated with at least one toxic heavy metal.

That’s because certain crops like rice and sweet potatoes absorb metals more easily as they grow. Some of the metals are naturally occurring in the soil, while others are added from various forms of pollution.

According to the Healthy Babies, Bright Futures study:
Rice cakes and crisped rice cereal are heavily contaminated with arsenic.
Some fresh carrots and sweet potatoes had high levels of lead, arsenic and cadmium.
The most heavily contaminated foods consumed by babies include rice cakes, crisped rice cereal, rice-based puffs, brown rice, rice-based teething biscuits and rusks, white rice, raisins, non-rice teething crackers, granola bar with raisins and oat-ring cereal.

What are baby food companies saying?

The Consumer Reports study tested products from Want-Want (which makes Baby Mum-Mum products), Beech-Nut, Gerber and Earth’s Best.

A statement from Beech-Nut noted that its sweet potato product tested by Consumer Reports this year showed an 84% reduction in lead from previous testing conducted in 2017, and its products are “well below the current draft guidance action levels as proposed by FDA.”

"We feel very confident that the improvements that we put in place, the continuous improvements that we're working on, the testing program that we've created, is helping reduce these levels," Beech-Nut's Vice President of Quality and Technical Services, Jason Jacobs, told USA TODAY. "We're continuing to work towards lowering these levels over time using best practices and continuous improvement methodologies."

He also noted that studies have shown that certain nutrients in foods may actually reduce lead absorption, meaning the body may not necessarily absorb all of the heavy metals detected in foods.

A statement from Gerber said the industry is making progress toward minimizing heavy metals, and emphasized that the metals are not added during production but are drawn in by plants from the soil.

“We believe the best way to address this issue is to focus on continuous improvement with our suppliers and growers to minimize levels further over time,” the statement said. “Throughout our 90-year history, we’ve implemented safety and quality standards that are among the strictest in the world—and we are committed to continuing to uphold those standards.”

Both companies said they tests raw ingredients and finished products. The other companies in the report did not respond to requests for comment from USA TODAY.

Which baby foods are less contaminated by heavy metals?

The Healthy Babies, Bright Futures study found the least contaminated foods consumed by babies include bananas, grits, baby food brand meats, butternut squash, lamb, apples, pork, eggs, oranges and watermelon.

What can parents do?

Risk comes from repeated exposure over long periods of time, which means parents should feed their children a variety of foods.

"By mixing them up, you get different amounts of different nutrients, but you (also) get different amounts of the different heavy metals," Corkin said. "By having variety in your diet, you're going to have less exposure to all of them."

The Environmental Working Group (EWG), a nonprofit environmental health organization, also suggests swapping out rice cereal – which is often contaminated with arsenic – with alternative sources of fiber like pureed greens and vegetables.

What is the FDA doing?

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration earlier this year proposed maximum limits for the amount of lead in baby foods.

A statement from the FDA said it is reviewing comments on its proposed action levels for lead, which are expected to be finalized next year. The agency also expects to issue draft guidance on action levels for arsenic and cadmium next year.

Some public health advocates argue that the FDA needs to do more. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says there is no safe level of lead for children, and “even low levels of lead in blood have been shown to negatively affect a child’s intelligence, ability to pay attention, and academic achievement.”

“There’s so much at stake,” said Scott Faber, senior vice president of government affairs for the EWG. “The FDA isn't setting the bar high enough to change how we source the ingredients that are ultimately contributing to the toxic metals in baby food.” Consumer Reports recommends the FDA set a goal of no measurable amounts of cadmium, lead, or inorganic arsenic in children’s food.

A statement from the FDA said it knows "there is more work to do," but warned that lowering heavy metal levels in food will take time. The agency said setting action levels to zero for nonorganic arsenic, lead, and cadmium would be "short-sighted" and could result in food shortages.

"We understand that there is a sense of urgency for many people for whom environmental contaminants in their food supply is a new concept. However, it is critically important for the health of children that they continue to have access to age-appropriate nutrient-dense foods," the statement said. "Our goal continues to be ensuring access to foods that provide essential nutrients, while lowering levels of contaminants to as close to zero as possible."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Baby food brands contain 'concerning' levels of heavy metals. Homemade may not be better.