Patch Parents: CA Baby Food Labels Now Reveal Levels Of Lead, Heavy Metals

CALIFORNIA — Baby food makers need to be transparent about the levels of heavy metals in their products, thanks to a California law.

Dangerous amounts of lead and other toxic heavy metals have been found in some baby foods sold in the country, but until now, parents had no way of knowing which foods contained higher levels.

California Assembly Bill 899 requires baby food manufacturers to test their products at least once a month for levels of arsenic, cadmium, lead and mercury. As of Jan. 1, baby food manufacturers must make the test results publicly available on their websites.

California parents can now find QR codes on baby food product labels disclosing the heavy metals present in the food. Although the new regulations apply to baby food made, sold, delivered or held in California, major manufacturers have started rolling out QR codes on baby and toddler foods nationwide.

"Parents should see this as a victory," Dr. Inderpal Randhawa, a pediatrician and medical director of the Children's Pulmonary Institute at MemorialCare Miller Children's & Women's Hospital Long Beach in Long Beach, California, told What To Expect. "Transparency in food contaminants is important for consumers."

Earlier this month, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration set guidelines for levels of lead in processed baby foods such as jarred fruits and vegetables.

The FDA guidance sets a limit of 10 parts per billion for fruits, most vegetables, grain- and meat-based mixtures, yogurts, custards and puddings, and single-ingredient meats meats. It also sets a limit of 20 parts per billion for single-ingredient root vegetables and for dry infant cereals.

The guidance covers packaged processed foods that are meant for babies and toddlers under 2 years old. This includes foods in jars, pouches, tubs or boxes and may include ready-to-eat foods such as purees, as well as semi-prepared foods such as dry infant cereals. The guidance does not cover infant formula, beverages or snack foods like puffs and teething biscuits.

The new guidance comes after lead-tainted pouches of apple cinnamon puree sickened more than 560 children in the U.S. between October 2023 and April 2024, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The levels of lead detected in those products were more than 2,000 times higher than the FDA's maximum allowable limit.

"U.S. and international authorities all agree that there is no safe level of lead exposure for children. Yet, before today, there were no finalized federal limits on lead in children's foods and industry was left to self-regulate," Thomas Galligan, a principal scientist with the Center for Science in the Public Interest, said in a statement.

"FDA's actions today are a step forward and will help protect children," Galligan added. "However, the agency took too long to act and ignored important public input that could have strengthened these standards."

Patch Parents is written by Patch Editor Kristina Houck, a mom of three boys. Have a story idea? Email kristina.houck@patch.com.