Heavy metals in baby food: what parents can do

Why metals end up in food

Arsenic, lead, cadmium and mercury occur naturally in the earth’s crust, and they also come from pollution, the FDA explains. Plants take them up from soil and water, and animals take them in from what they eat. They can also get into food during manufacturing and packaging (AAP). So small amounts turn up in many foods, including homemade ones, organic ones, fruits, vegetables and grains.

It’s understandable to worry when this makes the news. A few facts help keep it in proportion:

• The AAP says the low levels found in baby foods are likely a relatively small part of a child’s overall exposure to toxic metals, though exposure from all sources should be kept as low as possible.
• Metals can be harmful to the developing brain, and have been linked to problems with learning and behavior. The AAP adds that many genetic, social and environmental factors shape how a child’s brain grows, and metals are only one of them.
• The FDA says finding a contaminant in a food doesn’t mean the food should be avoided. Many of the most nutritious foods contain small amounts, and good nutrition itself may help protect against their effects.

What the FDA is doing: Closer to Zero

Closer to Zero is the FDA’s plan to bring arsenic, lead, cadmium and mercury in foods for babies and young children down as low as possible over time, without losing access to nutritious foods. It focuses on these foods because babies’ smaller bodies make them more vulnerable.

• Arsenic in infant rice cereal: since 2020, the FDA’s action level is 100 parts per billion (ppb) of inorganic arsenic. In FDA testing, 76% of samples met it in 2018, up from 36% in 2011 to 2013.
• Lead: in January 2025, the FDA set action levels for lead in packaged food for children under 2, including jars and pouches: 10 ppb for most fruit, vegetable, mixed, yogurt and meat foods, and 20 ppb for single-ingredient root vegetables and dry infant cereals.
• Arsenic and cadmium in other baby foods: the FDA lists action levels as its next step.

Action levels are guidance for manufacturers: a level at which the FDA may treat a food as unsafe and take action. They aren’t meant to steer your shopping. The FDA’s advice to parents is to offer a varied, nutrient-dense diet across all the food groups.

The metals one by one

Inorganic arsenic

Rice takes up more arsenic than other crops (FDA, AAP). That’s why infant rice cereal and rice snacks get the most attention. Rice is still fine as one grain among many: the FDA says iron-fortified rice cereal is a good source of nutrients, but it shouldn’t be the only cereal and doesn’t need to be the first. The CDC notes that feeding only infant rice cereal can increase a baby’s arsenic exposure.

For cooking tips, rice types and rice snacks, see rice and arsenic and rice.

Lead

The FDA says there is no known safe level of lead exposure. In food, lead comes from the environment where crops are grown or processed, partly from its past use in paint, gasoline and plumbing. The AAP points out that the most common source of lead exposure for children isn’t food at all: it’s peeling or chipping paint in older homes. Soil, water, some spices and cosmetics, and some jobs and hobbies can also be sources.

Cadmium

Cadmium gets into crops from soil, and levels are higher in areas where some phosphate fertilizers are used or near industry such as smelting and mining (FDA). Secondhand smoke and vaping can also expose children to cadmium and lead (AAP).

Mercury

Mercury in food mostly comes from fish. Fish is a valuable food for babies, so the advice is to choose fish low in mercury, such as salmon, cod, pollock and canned light tuna, rather than to skip it (AAP). See fish for babies.

What parents can do

Offer variety. This is the main protection. The AAP and FDA both say a varied diet of fruits, vegetables, grains and protein foods lowers exposure to any one contaminant and gives your baby the nutrients they need. Variety matters for homemade food too (AAP).

• Switch up grains. Rotate rice cereal with iron-fortified oat, barley and multigrain cereals (FDA, AAP), and offer other grains like oatmeal, barley, couscous and quinoa. See infant cereal.
• Read the labels. Many baby food blends share the same first ingredient, often sweet potato, the AAP notes. Check the ingredients list to be sure you’re offering a true variety. See baby food pouches.
• Skip juice. Babies under 12 months shouldn’t have juice (FDA, AAP), and the AAP says some juices can contain concerning levels of heavy metals. Offer whole or puréed fruit instead. See juice for babies.
• No rice drinks. The NHS says children under 5 shouldn’t have rice drinks instead of breast milk, formula or cow’s milk, because they may contain too much arsenic. If your child has had them, the NHS says not to worry: there’s no immediate risk, but switch to a different milk. The AAP also suggests avoiding rice milk and brown rice syrup.
• Check your water. If you use a private well, the FDA suggests testing it for arsenic in spring or early summer. Older pipes can contain lead; your local health department can help with testing (AAP).
• Deal with lead hazards at home, especially old paint (AAP).
• Don’t smoke or vape around your child (AAP).
• Milk feeds. The AAP says breastfeeding, rather than formula feeding, can also help reduce exposure. However you feed your baby, the other steps on this list work just the same.

Organic food may have fewer pesticides, but because metals come from soil and processing, organic baby foods often have similar levels to non-organic ones (AAP).

Testing and recalls

The AAP says there’s no need to test children for metals because of baby food, and hair tests aren’t recommended: they’re unproven and often inaccurate.

If your child may have eaten a recalled baby food, contact your pediatrician (AAP). If you’re worried about metals in your child’s diet, your pediatrician can help, and the AAP mentions regional Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Units as another source of advice.

Where US and UK advice differs

The core message is the same: rice is fine as part of a varied diet, and variety is the best protection.

• Limits. In the US, the FDA’s levels for infant rice cereal and for lead in baby food are action levels set out in guidance for industry. In the UK, the FSA and NHS say there are legal maximum levels of inorganic arsenic in rice and rice products, with stricter levels for foods for young children.
• Rice drinks. The NHS and FSA give a clear age: no rice drinks as a milk substitute under 5. The AAP suggests avoiding rice milk without giving an age.