Toxic Metals Found in 95% of Baby Foods

• Researchers tested 168 baby foods including infant rice cereal, puff snacks, vegetable jars and juices
• They found that 95% of those tested contained one or more toxic heavy metals 
• 94% had lead, 75% had cadmium, 73% had arsenic and 32% had mercury

Toxic heavy metals are likely in the food you’re feeding your baby, according to new research from the advocacy organization Healthy Babies Bright Futures (HBBF), which bills itself as an alliance of scientists, nonprofit organizations and donors trying to reduce exposures to neurotoxic chemicals during the first three years of development.

Lead, found in 95% of baby foods tested, was the most prevalent heavy metal. The researchers say foods made with rice—especially brown rice—were the most contaminated, especially with arsenic. They also recommend cutting back on fruit juices and on carrots and sweet potatoes, since root crops tend to absorb heavy metals.

The high prevalence of the toxic metals meant that 26 percent of the foods tested had all four of the heavy metals. Four of seven infant rice cereals had a toxic form of arsenic in excess of the FDA’s threshold of 100 parts per billion (ppb).