New Study Reveals Which Baby Food Companies Lack Transparency on Toxic Metals

As a parent, you've probably stood in the baby food aisle feeling overwhelmed by all the choices. Which brand is safest? What's really in that little jar or pouch? A new investigation has some answers that might surprise you and help you make better choices for your baby.

Consumer Reports and Unleaded Kids just released findings that looked at 39 baby food brands to see which ones are actually sharing their toxic metal test results with parents. The results? It's a mixed bag.

Here's the reality: toxic metals like lead, arsenic, cadmium, and mercury are found in many baby foods. These aren't ingredients companies add on purpose, as they come from soil, water, and air pollution that affects the crops used to make baby food. The problem isn't necessarily that these metals exist (they're hard to avoid completely), but that some companies aren't being upfront about testing for them.

Babies are especially vulnerable to toxic metals because they eat more food relative to their body weight compared to adults. Think about it, your baby might eat the same amount of sweet potato as you do, but they weigh 20 pounds while you weigh 150 pounds. That's a much bigger exposure for their little body.

Even small amounts of these metals can add up over time and potentially cause problems like developmental delays, anemia, kidney issues, and nervous system damage. This isn't meant to scare you; it's meant to help you understand why transparency matters.

Sixteen baby food brands earned top marks for making their test results easy to find. These companies test their products monthly for toxic metals and put the results right on their websites, where you can actually find them:

And several others. When you visit these companies' websites, you can find clear information about what's in their products without jumping through hoops.

Twenty-one brands got middle ratings because they make you work to find test results. You might need to enter lot numbers, expiration dates, or other codes from the package. While they're technically sharing the information, it's not exactly parent-friendly when you're juggling a crying baby and trying to decode numbers on a tiny package.

Some of these brands include Beech-Nut, Target's Good & Gather Baby, Walmart's Parent's Choice, and Kroger's SimpleTruth.

Two companies, Loco Bebé and Piko Provisions, don't have any heavy metal test results available on their websites at all. If transparency is important to you (and it should be), these might be brands to skip.

California passed a law requiring baby food companies to test their products monthly for toxic metals and share those results publicly. This law started in January 2024, and similar laws are spreading to other states like Maryland, Virginia, and Illinois.

This is actually great news for parents everywhere – even if you don't live in California, you benefit because companies selling there have to be transparent about their testing.

This information might feel overwhelming. You're not a bad parent if you've been buying brands that aren't transparent; you were working with the information you had. The point isn't to panic about what you've already fed your baby, but to make informed choices going forward.

Remember, you can't eliminate toxic metals entirely, whether you're buying store-bought food or making it yourself at home. The goal is simply to choose brands that are working to minimize these contaminants and are honest about their testing.

This study reveals that some companies are taking transparency seriously, while others are lagging. As more states pass similar laws and parents demand better information, we can expect to see more companies stepping up their transparency efforts.

For now, your best bet is to support companies that make it easy to access their test results and to mix up the brands and types of food you give your baby. Variety is not just good for nutrition; it's also a smart strategy for reducing exposure to any one source of contaminants.