Safest Baby Foods Without Heavy Metals or Perchlorate: 2019 LAB RESULTS

In a new investigation released this week, close to 200 baby foods were tested across the United States and 95% of them contained one or more heavy metals like arsenic, lead, cadmium or mercury. They also found perchlorate, a rocket fuel chemical, inside baby food & infant formula used as an “anti-static” agent. This is horrifying. We know. So what should you feed your baby? You’ve trusted Mamavation to bring you topics like best supplements without lead, safest baby formulas, & thousands of other product investigations, now join us as we take you through the latest study by Healthy Babies Bright Futures and spill the beans on the safest brands.

Disclosure: this post contains affiliate links.

Heavy Metals Arsenic, Lead, Cadmium & Mercury Are Commonly Found in Baby Foods

When you go to the store to pick up baby food, you don’t expect to bring home a side of heavy metals, but that is exactly what is happening. In the latest baby food investigation by Healthy Babies Bright Futures & partners, 168 baby food products were tested, including 61 brands. The results were very concerning for parents.

• 95% of baby food tested were contaminated with one or more of four toxic heavy metals–arsenic, lead, cadmium or mercury.
• Within a single container lots of contaminants could be inside:
  • 4 metals were found inside 26% of baby foods tested,
  • 3 metals were found inside 40% of baby foods tested,
  • 2 metals were found inside 21% of baby foods tested,
  • 1 metal was found inside 8% of baby foods tested &
  • 0 metals were found inside of 5% of baby foods tested (9 foods)
• Arsenic was found in 73% of baby foods
• Lead was found in 94% of baby foods
• Cadmium was found in 75% of baby foods
• Mercury was found in 32% of baby foods

Pediatricians Are Talking About Heavy Metals & Baby Food and They Aren’t Happy

Pediatricians have already started warning parents about this danger. “Arsenic, lead and other heavy metals are known causes of neurodevelopmental harm,” explains Dr. Phillip Landrigan, a pediatrician and Director of the Program in Global Public Health and the Common Good in the Schiller Institute for Integrated Science and Society at Boston College. “Low-level exposures add up, and exposures in early life are especially dangerous. The cumulative impact of exposures is what makes this a significant concern that demands action.”

• 87% of the foods tested contained more than one toxic heavy metal.
• 4 in 7 infant rice cereals tested contained inorganic arsenic (the toxic form of arsenic) in excess of FDA’s proposed action level of 100 ppb (parts per billion).
• 83% of baby foods tested had more lead than the 1ppb limit endorsed by public health advocates
• 1 out of every 5 foods tested had over 10 times the limit of 1ppb endorsed by public health advocates

What Can Heavy Metals Do To Developing Babies?

It’s been clear for hundreds of years that heavy metals like arsenic, lead, cadmium & mercury are very problematic to human health. But when it comes to children, it’s even more dangerous. They can harm a developing baby’s brain and nervous system both in utero and after birth. Arsenic, lead, cadmium & mercury can negatively impact the brain development of an otherwise healthy baby. And to drive this home, in the past seven years, there have been 23 peer-reviewed studies underlining the dangers to children when it comes to these heavy metals. The common symptoms of exposure are as follows:

• loss of IQ
• attention deficit syndromes (ADD)
• other learning and behavioral impacts
• arsenic, lead & cadmium are also carcinogens

According to health advocates at Abt Associates who studied data of national surveys of food contamination and consumption of American children aged 0 to 24 months, American children lose 11 million IQ points from exposure to arsenic and lead in these foods. Rice-based foods also account for about one-fifth of this loss and fifteen foods account for over half of this loss of IQ points.

Rocket Fuel Chemical Perchlorate Found in Baby Food

Perchlorate, a chemical used in the creation of rockets, fireworks and matches, has also been found in baby foods. In 2005, Perchlorate was approved by the FDA as an “indirect additive” in plastic packaging for foods and today is used as an anti-static agent in cereals, infant formula, and other baby foods. Grains become static-y when ground very small and packaged, so food companies started adding perchlorate to the inside of plastic packaging walls to solve that problem.

Perchlorate disrupts thyroid function and blocks the uptake of iodine to the thyroid. When this happens in utero or in early childhood, IQ loss and development issues become very possible. Last year, the American Academy of Pediatrics issued a statement that food additives like perchlorate were dangerous to children and should not be approved by the FDA. These results show a prevalence of perchlorate in baby food and underline the need for the FDA to ban all food uses of perchlorate in baby food. Babies are already getting heavy metals in their baby food, perchlorate isn’t a helpful chemical in terms of neurodevelopment for American children.

But at Mamavation, we’re not just reporting the news. We have become very active changing policy behind the scenes for you. Mamavation is working with the Environmental Working Group and the Environmental Defense Fund on legislation in California to restrict perchlorate in baby food and will need your help if and when that legislation makes it to the Capital. Mamavation is also working with the California State Water Board to lower the levels of perchlorate in water. Stay tuned.

What Are The Safer Alternatives?

Safer alternatives exist here, so it’s important to just familiarize yourself with the options. In fact, you’ll save an average of 80% less toxic exposure if you follow the solutions we’ve pulled for you. Long story short, here they are.

• Snacks Solutions: If you choose rice-free snacks over puff snacks made from rice you’ll get about 93% less toxic heavy metals
• Teething Food Solutions: If you choose soothing foods for teething like a frozen banana or chilled cucumber instead of teething biscuits or rice rusks, you’ll get about 91% less toxic heavy metals
• Cereal Solution: If you choose other infant cereals like multi-grain and oatmeal instead of infant rice cereal you’ll get about 84% less toxic heavy metals
• Drink Solution: If you choose tap water instead of giving your child fruit juice, you’ll get about 68% less toxic heavy metals
• Fruits & Veggies Solution: If you choose a variety of fruits & veggies instead of just carrots & sweet potatoes all the time, you’ll get about 73% less toxic heavy metals.

Unfortunately, organic standards do not tackle heavy metals in the standards. So some organic brands will have some surprising heavy metal content, but we’ve found some better organic brands in our investigation at the end of this investigation to help you out. But it’s also important to know that heavy metals are not typically added to baby food but come from the soil and uptake into plants. Levels of heavy metal contamination in soil vary, but it’s important to understand that organic doesn’t necessarily mean safer when it comes to heavy metal contamination in children. More on the best organic baby formulas here.

Baby Food Makers & Home Cooking: The Best Solution

The truth is this–the more something is processed, the more likely it’s going to have contaminants inside. So making the baby food yourself is really the solution to your problem. But I get it, it’s not always convenient. That’s why we are bringing you both options, so you can choose daily.

But here’s more proof that softening your baby’s food isn’t the best plan in general. The latest research looking at evolutionary dentistry says that softening a baby’s food prevents them from fully developing their jaw, which can lead to a list of ailments in adulthood like sleep apnea. But if you must, I have some more bad news for you, it’s close to impossible to get automatic grinders that don’t touch plastic to food. So what we’ve done here is found the least problematic ones. Many modern baby food makers are made of Tritan, but we were able to locate several options that aren’t. Food contact materials are listed in parenthesis for your information.

• Beaba Babycook Neo (glass/stainless steel)
• Beaba Babycook 4-in-1 baby food maker (polypropylene)
• Stainless Steel mortar & pestle (no plastic whatsoever)
• Weston Stainless Steel Food Mill (no plastic whatsoever)
• DEX Products baby food processor (SAN)
• Kalorik Chopper baby food maker (ABS/SAN)
• Paderno puree maker (ABS)
• The First Years Babypro All In One baby food maker (polypropylene)
• Zanmini 8-in-1 baby food maker

Urge Action by the FDA to Lower The Amount of Heavy Metals In Baby Foods

What’s even more frightening? There is no federal safety limit for arsenic, lead, and other heavy metals in baby food. But we know that if the FDA issued draft guidance or standards, levels should go down over time.

“Current arsenic contamination levels in rice cereal and juice are 36% and 75% less, respectively, than the amounts measured a decade ago,” explains HBBF research director and study author Jane Houihan. “When FDA acts, companies respond. We need the FDA to use their authority more effectively, and much more quickly, to reduce toxic heavy metals in baby foods.”

HBBF and its partners have created a petition to the FDA urging them to take action immediately by setting health-based standards that limit the number of heavy metals like arsenic, lead, cadmium, and mercury in baby food to protect their developing brains.

Mamavation’s Investigation on Baby Food Brands

Mamavation looked at all 168 brands to decipher based on ranges which brands had the least amount of contaminants.  We’ve created this range with help from Charlotte Brody, RN, National Director of Healthy Babies Bright Future & co-author of this report to categorize which brands deserve to be in which category. It’s important to strive for 0 ppb of lead because that is where children are safe. However, we recognize that we are not there yet and this represents the range of heavy metals. Here are the levels:

• Lead: dangerous levels 17-27 ppb, concerning levels 7-17 ppb, and safer levels 0-7 ppb
• Inorganic Arsenic: dangerous levels 75-100 ppb, concerning levels 40-75 ppb, and safer levels 0-40 ppb.
• Cadmium: dangerous levels 25-50ppb, concerning levels 10-25 ppb, and safer levels 0-10 ppb
• Mercury: dangerous levels 3-4 ppb, concerning levels 1-3 ppb, and safer levels 0-1 ppb.
• Perchlorate: dangerous above 1 ppb to any child. This is the public health goal for perchlorate in water in California.

Bad Baby Food Brands

These brands had the highest levels of heavy metals than the rest of the group. Specifically, baby & toddler food brands that had between 17-27 ppb of lead, between 75-1000 ppb or inorganic arsenic, 25-50 ppb of cadmium, 3-4 ppb of mercury, or any perchlorate landed here. Because perchlorate is so incredibly toxic to the baby’s development, we have those brands highlighted.

• Baby Mum-Mum Banana Rice Rusks (arsenic, mercury, perchlorate)
• Beech-Nut Rice Single Grain Baby Cereal (high arsenic, low lead, low cadmium)
• Beech-Nut Oatmeal Whole Grain Baby Cereal (lead, cadmium, perchlorate)
• Beech-Nut Organics Just Carrots (perchlorate) 
• Beech-Nut Classics Sweet Carrots (high lead, cadmium, mercury)
• Beech-Nut Classics Sweet Potatoes Stage 2 (high lead, cadmium)
• Beech-Nut Classics Mixed Vegetables Stage 2 (high lead)
• BioKinetics Brown Rice Organic Sprouted Whole Grain Baby Cereal (high arsenic, lead, high cadmium, mercury)
• Comforts (Kroger) Blueberry Little Puffs Cereal Snack (arsenic, lead, high cadmium)
• Cream of Wheat Instant Original Flavor (high lead, high cadmium)
• Cuetara Animalitos Galleta Crackers (Animal Crackers) (high cadmium)
• Deluxe Pasta Macaroni & Cheese, Original Flavor (lead, high cadmium)
• Earth’s Best Organic Sensitivity DHR/ARA Infant Formula with Iron (perchlorate) 
• Earths Best Organic Whole Grain Rice Cereal (high arsenic, high lead, cadmium, mercury)
• Earth’s Best Organic Sesame Street Peanut Butter Baked Corn Puffs (high cadmium)
• Earth’s Best Organic Spinach and Potato Baby Food 6 months (perchlorate)
• Gerber Multigrain Cereal (arsenic, lead, high cadmium, mercury, perchlorate)
• Gerber Rice Single Grain Cereal (arsenic, lead, cadmium, mercury, perchlorate)
• Gerber Oatmeal Single Grain Cereal (Lead, cadmium, perchlorate)
• Gerber Whole Wheat Whole Grain Cereal (Lead, arsenic, cadmium, perchlorate)
• Gerber Barley Single Grain Cereal (Lead, cadmium, perchlorate)
• Gerber Diced Carrots Veggie Pickups (lead, high cadmium, mercury)
• Gerber Carrot Sitter 2nd Food (lead, high cadmium, mercury)
• Gerber Carrot Supported Sitter 1st Goods (lead, high cadmium, mercury)
• Gerber Sweet Potato Supported Sitter 1st Foods Tub (high lead, cadmium)
• Gerber Sweet Potato Sitter 2nd Foods (high lead, cadmium)
• Gerber Fruit & Veggie Melts Truly Tropical Blend Free Dried Fruit & Vegetable Snack (lead, high cadmium)
• Gerber Arrowroot Biscuits (lead, high cadmium)
• HappyBABY Organic Oats & Quinoa Baby Cereal Whole Grains with Iron (perchlorate) 
• HappyBABY Organic Baby Cereal, Clearly Crafted Whole Grains (perchlorate) 
• HappyBABY Organic Simple Combos Apples, Spinach & Kale (perchlorate) 
• HappyBABY Superfoods Puffs- Apple & Broccoli Organic Grain Snack (high arsenic, lead, cadmium, mercury)
• HappyBABY Superfood Puffs – Sweet Potato & Carrot Organic Grain Snack (high arsenic, cadmium, mercury)
• HappyBABY Organic Rice Cakes Puffed Rice Snack – Apple (arsenic, high mercury)
• Healthy Times Organic Brown Rice Cereal (high lead, high arsenic, cadmium, mercury, perchlorate)
• Kitchdee Organic Baby Cereal Rice and Lentil (lead, high arsenic, cadmium, high mercury)
• Kraft Mac & Cheese Dinner, Original Flavor (cadmium)
• Nosh! Baby Munchabes Organic Teething Wafers- Banana & Mango (arsenic, high mercury)
• NurturMe Organic Quinoa Cereals–Quinoa & sweet potato & raisin (arsenic, high lead, cadmium, perchlorate)
• O Organics (Albertsons/Safeway) Organic Puffs- Apple & Strawberry (high arsenic, lead, cadmium, high mercury)
• Parents Choice (Walmart) Organic Strawberry Rice Rusks (arsenic, high lead, mercury)
• Parents Choice (Walmart) Little Hearts Strawberry Yogurt Cereal Snacks Stage 3 (high cadmium)
• Parents Choice (Walmart) Carrot Stage 2 (perchlorate) 
• Plum Organics Mighty Morning Bar Blueberry Lemon 15 months (cadmium, perchlorate)
• Similac Advance OptiGRO Powder (perchlorate) 
• Simple Truth Organics (Kroger) Whole Grain Puffs Broccoli & Spinach (high arsenic, lead, cadmium, high mercury)
• SOBISK Breakfast Biscuits Golden Oat (high lead)
• Sprout Organic Quinoa Puffs Baby Cereal Snack – Apple Kale (arsenic, high lead, high cadmium, mercury)

Better Baby Food Brands

This category represents two separate groups. Group #1 is between 7-17 ppb lead, 40-75 ppb inorganic arsenic, 10-25 ppb cadmium, and/or 1-3 ppb of mercury. Group #2 is brands that contains the lowest levels of contaminants, but are not organic so they likely contain various pesticide residue.  This category has between 0-7 ppb lead, 0-40 ppb inorganic arsenic, 0-10 ppb cadmium, and/or less than 1 ppb of mercury and are marked with **.

• 365 Organic Whole Foods Milk Based Powder Infant Formula with Iron**
• Applesnax Applesauce with Cinnamon**
• Beech-Nut Naturals Just Sweet Potatoes Stage 1 (lead, cadmium)
• Beech-Nut Classics Sweet Peas Stage 2**
• Beech-Nut Naturals Just Butternut Squash Stage 1**
• Beech-Nut Naturals Bananas Stage 1 4 months**
• Beech-Nut Naturals Beets, Pear & Pomegranate**
• Beech-Nut Classics Chicken & Chicken Broth**
• Beech-Nut Classics Turkey & Turkey Broth**
• Beech-Nut Breakfast-on-the-go Yogurt Banana & Mixed Berry Blend Stage 4**
• Earth’s Best Organic Oatmeal Cereal (Arsenic, Lead, cadmium)
• Earth’s Best Organic Sweet Potatoes Baby Food 4 months+ (lead, cadmium)
• Earth’s Best Organic Sweet Potatoes Baby Food 6 months+ (lead, cadmium)
• Earth’s Best Organic Chicken & Brown Rice Baby Food 6 months (arsenic, lead)
• Earth’s Best Sunny Days Snack Bars – Swee Potato Carrot (cadmium)
• Enfamil ProSobee Soy Infant Formula, Milk-Free Lactose-Free Powder (lead, cadmium)
• Enfamil Infant Formula Milk-Based with Iron**
• Gerber Good Start Gentle HM-O and Probiotics Infant Formula with Iron**
• Gerber Pea Sitter 2nd Foods**
• Gerber Green Beans Sitter 2nd Food**
• Gerber Green Bean Supported Sitter 1st Foods**
• Gerber Banana Sitter 2nd Foods**
• Gerber Peach Sitter 2nd Foods**
• Gerber Pear Sitter 2nd Foods**
• Gerber Sweet Potato Supported Sitter 1st Foods (lead, cadmium)
• Gerber Organic Mango Apple Carrot Kale Sitter 2nd Foods (cadmium)
• Gerber Carrot Pear Blackberry Sitter 2nd Foods (cadmium)
• Gerber Mashed Potatoes & Gravy with Roasted Chicken and a Side of Carrots (cadmium)
• Gerber Puffs Banana Cereal Snack (lead, cadmium)
• Gerber Apple Sweet Potato with Cinnamon Toddler**
• Gerber Carrot Sweet Potato Pea Sitter 2nd Foods**
• Gerber Apple Juice from Concentrate**
• Gerber Apple Prune Juice from Concentrate**
• Gerber Variety Pack Juices from Concentrate–White Grape**
• Gerber Pear Juice from Concentrate 100% Juice**
• Gerber Chicken Rice Dinner Sitter 2nd Foods**
• Gerber Turkey Rice Dinner Sitter 2nd Foods**
• Gerber Lil’ Sticks Chicken Sticks Toddler**
• Gerber Beef and Gravy 2nd Foods**
• Gerber Ham and Gravy 2nd Foods**
• Gerber Teether Wheels Apple Harvest**
• HappyBABY Organic Infant Formula with Iron, Milk-based**
• HappyBABY Organic Teethers Blueberry & Purple Carrot Sitting Baby (mercury)
• Happy Tot Love My Veggies Bowl, Cheese & Spinach Ravioli with Organic Marinara Sauce (lead, cadmium)
• Harvest Hill Instant Oatmeal, Maple & Brown Sugar (lead, cadmium)
• Juicy Juice 100% Juice –Apple**
• Juicy Juice 100% Juice Fruit Punch**
• Kidgets Toddler Apple Juice from Concentrate**
• Little Duck Organics 100% Pressed Fruit Snacks & Probiotics Pomegranate, Blueberry & Acai (lead)
• Little Dutch Maid Saltine Crackers (cadmium)
• Meijer Apple Rice Rusks Baked Rice Snack (mercury)
• Meijer Baby Sweet Potatoes 2nd Stage**
• Meijer Baby Bananas 2nd Stage**
• Meijer True Goodness Organic Teethers Baked Rice Snack Vegetable (mercury)
• Mott’s Applesauce Apple**
• Nostalgia Marias Cookies Galletas (cadmium)
• Orchard Naturals Mandarin Oranges in Light Syrup**
• Parents Choice (Walmart) Organic Infant Formula with Iron**
• Parents Choice (Walmart) Sweet Potato Stage 1**
• Pediasure Grow & Gain Chocolate Shake**
• Plum Organics Genter Organic Infant Formula with Iron**
• Plum Organics Organic Just Sweet Potato Baby Food
• Repone Suero/Electrolyte Solution with Zinc Fruit Flavor**
• Seneca Cinnamon Applesauce**
• Simple Truth Organics (Kroger) Infant Formula with Iron, DHA and Dual Prebiotics**
• Sprout Garden Vegetables Brown Rice with Turkey for 8 months+**
• Sprout Carrot Apple Mango Organic Baby Food (cadmium)
• Up & Up (Target) Infant Formula with Iron**
• Up & Up (Target) Apple and Carrot Baby Food, Fruit & Vegetable Blend, 6 months**
• Yoo-hoo Chocolate Drink**

Best Baby Food Brands

This category is organic and has between 0-7 ppb lead, 0-40 ppb inorganic arsenic, 0-10 ppb cadmium, less than 1 ppb of mercury. We’ve linked up as many brands as we could find on Amazon for your convenience.

• 365 Organic Whole Foods 100% Juice Apple from Concentrate
• Apple & Eve Elmo’s Punch 100% Organic Juice
• Baby’s Only Organic Non-GMO Dairy Toddler Formula 
• Beech-Nut Organics Just Sweet Potatoes Stage 1
• Beech-Nut Organic Just Pumpkin Stage 1
• Beech-Nut Organic Just Apples Stage 1 4 months
• Earth’s Best Organic Carrots Baby Food 
• Earth’s Best Organic Winter Squash Baby Food
• Earth’s Best Organic First Peas Baby Food
• Earth’s Best Organic Apples Baby Food 6 months+
• Earth’s Best Organic First Pears 4 months
• Earth’s Best Organic Turkey Quinoa Apple Sweet potato Homestyle Meal Puree
• Earth’s Best Organic Chicken Pot Pie Homestyle Meat Puree
• Earth’s Best Organic Sweet Potato Cinnamon Flax & Oat-Wholesome Breakfast Puree 6 months+
• Earth’s Best Sesame Street Organic Fruit Yogurt Smoothie Apple Blueberry
• Ella’s Kitchen Organic Nibbly Fingers Apples & Strawberries
• Gerber Organic Apple Blueberry Spinach Sitter 2nd Food
• Good2Grow Fortified Water – Orange Mango
• HappyBABY Organic Sweet Potatoes Stage 1
• HappyBABY Organic Pears Stage 1
• HappyBABY Organic Clearly Crafted Prunes 4 months
• HappyBABY Organic Apples, Sweet Potato & Granola Clearly Crafted Baby Food
• Meijer Infant Formula Milk-Based with Iron
• Meijer True Goodness Organic Carrots Baby Food
• Meijer True Goodness Organic Sweet Potatoes Baby Food Stage 2
• O Organics (Albertsons/Safeway) Organic Carrots Baby Food
• O Organics (Albertsons/Safeway) Organic Apple, Sweet Potato & Carrot Baby Food
• O Organics (Albertsons/Safeway) Strained Organic Turkey and Turkey Gravy Baby Food
• Orgain Kids Protein Organic Nutritional Shake Vanilla Flavor 
• Parents Choice (Walmart) Organic Butternut Squash Vegetable Puree Stage 2
• Parents Choice (Walmart) Organic Strawberry Carrot & Quinoa Fruit & Veg Puree
• Plum Organics Organic Just Peaches Baby Food 
• Plum Organics Organic Just Prunes Baby Food
• Plum Organics Pumpkin Banana Papaya Cardomon 6 months
• Plum Organics Apple, Raisin & Quinoa Baby Food
• Plum Organics Little Teethers Organic Multigrain Teething Wafers Banana with Pumpkin 
• Simple Truth Organics (Kroger) Mini Rice Cakes Apple
• Sprouts Organic Baby Food Prunes Starting Solids
• Sprout Butternut Chickpea Quinoa & Dates Organic Baby Food
• Sprout Organic Crispy Chews Red Fruit Beet & Berry with Crispy Brown Rice