Heavy Metals Found in Homemade and Store-Bought Baby Food, Report Says

Maryland dad Chris Vlcek takes his 7-month-old baby’s health very seriously. That’s why he and his wife use glass instead of plastic bottles, grow many of their own vegetables and prepare Adaleigh’s food from scratch. 

“I think it's important to give her the best food that we can,” Vlcek, of Takoma Park, said.

But a recently released report from a child health watchdog group suggests even those steps might not be enough to keep heavy metals out of his baby’s diet.

In a study of 288 store-bought baby food and homemade purees, the nonprofit Healthy Babies Bright Futures found 94% of both types were contaminated with one or more toxic heavy metals, such as lead, arsenic, mercury or cadmium. 

“We did not find any evidence that homemade baby food is, in general, any safer, with lower levels of toxic heavy metals, than the store-bought brands,” said Jane Houlihan, who led the study. 

Despite the federal government setting limits for lead in drinking water and paint, Houlihan noted it has far fewer standards when it comes to regulating toxic metals in the food babies eat. High levels of toxic metal exposure have been linked to learning, cognitive and behavioral problems, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.

“For many babies, food is a top source of exposure to these kinds of toxic chemicals that can harm brain development,” Houlihan said.

In 2019, her organization found 95% of store bought baby foods were contaminated with heavy metals, which prompted their latest report on whether it’s better to make your own.

The new study, which also included examining more than 7,000 additional food testing data, led researchers to warn against serving rice cakes or crisped rice cereal, as samples showed they contained higher levels of inorganic arsenic than any other food tested.

The organization is also recommending caregivers rotate where they buy and how often they serve vegetables such as carrots and sweet potatoes, which were found to have lead, arsenic and cadmium.

Meanwhile, Healthy Babies found bananas, baby food brand meats, apples, eggs and watermelon were among the least contaminated. In addition, it found no difference between foods purchased from organic and conventional food aisles. 

“It really shows that it matters much more what types of foods parents serve than who makes that food,” Houlihan said. 

That’s because much of the contamination comes from the soil, irrigation water or fertilizer used in farming practices, Houlihan said.

She’s among those calling on government regulators to set tougher safety standards for growers and food companies to reduce heavy metal toxins, noting that, after the FDA set limits on heavy metals in juices and infant rice cereal, it saw levels of metals like arsenic drop between 30 and 70%. 

“We know there are things companies can do to reduce levels,” she said.

Illinois Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi, whose House Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy began investigating baby food manufacturers following Healthy Babies' 2019 report, said the findings underscore the need for government to step in. 

“We need to hustle because parents really want choices that are healthier for their babies,” he said. 

Last year the FDA announced a plan called “Closer to Zero” that will eventually set new standards for toxic metals in foods. Krishnamoorthi, along with a handful of other Democratic lawmakers, is also sponsoring legislation called the Baby Food Safety Act that would set toxic metal limits, increase FDA oversight and invest in farming technology and research to reduce heavy metals in crops.

“The FDA, for the first time, is taking this issue seriously,” Krishnamoorthi said. “We just want them to act faster, so we want to give them more resources to do so.”

In a lengthy statement, an FDA spokesperson said, “while we share the desire for reductions in exposure to these harmful elements as soon as possible, it takes time to develop necessary scientific data and information to establish action levels that are science-based and protective of public health.” 

The spokesperson added that, in the meantime, “removing all foods with any level of a contaminant would result in widespread shortages of many foods, including many of the foods that contain nutrients vital to growth and development.”

News4 reached out to several baby food companies but only Beech-Nut and Gerber responded, both hailing the study as showing home-made foods aren’t necessarily safer.

“HBBF’s study reiterates the fact that heavy metals are present across the U.S. food supply,” said a spokesperson from Beech-Nut, adding: “While scientists work to minimize plants’ heavy metals uptake, today they are impossible to completely remove from the crops.”

Still, the spokesperson said the company is “committed to working” with the FDA on its “Closer to Zero” program.

Gerber also said it supports reducing “the levels of heavy metals wherever possible.” 

Vlcek, the Maryland dad, said his first reaction upon hearing the report was thinking: “This is terrible,” but he added he also wasn’t surprised given the heavy use of pesticides and chemicals in crops worldwide.

He plans to continue growing his own produce as much as possible, but notes he shouldn’t have to when it comes to reducing toxins in his baby’s diet.

“You should have a system that's designed to protect children, at a minimum,” he said.

Tips for Reducing Babies' Exposure to Toxins in Foods

• Variety is key: mix up what you serve and where you buy it
• Rinse rice and scrub and peel carrots and potatoes to remove as many heavy metals as possible
• Offer fresh or frozen produce over canned
• Serve water instead of juice