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California has passed a law requiring baby food manufacturers to test their products for heavy metals and disclose the results to the public. As of January 1, baby food manufacturers must use an accredited lab to test representative samples of infant and toddler food for levels of arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury at least once a month. The results will be made available to the public through a QR code on the baby food label, which can be scanned with a smartphone.
The new law applies only to sales of baby food in California, but major manufacturers, including Gerber and Beech-Nut, have announced they will roll out QR codes on baby and toddler foods nationwide. The law aims to increase transparency and accountability in the industry, and experts say it will lead to a reduction in the levels of toxic heavy metals in baby food.
According to a 2021 congressional investigation, internal documents from major manufacturers revealed that some baby food samples contained levels of heavy metals that exceeded federal guidelines. The investigation found that some samples contained up to 177 times the lead level, 91 times the inorganic arsenic level, and 69 times the cadmium level allowed in bottled water.
Heavy metals have been linked to cancer, chronic disease, and neurotoxic effects, and experts say that the damage they can cause to a developing child’s brain is devastating. The US Food and Drug Administration has proposed setting lead levels in baby food at 10 parts per billion for most products and 20 parts per billion for cereals and root vegetables, but critics say this is still too high.
Experts say that manufacturers can greatly reduce levels of toxic metals by carefully choosing their suppliers, such as opting for farmers who grow foods in less-polluted soils and use regenerative farming techniques. Some smaller, niche baby food companies have already carved out a market by meeting the much lower standards for heavy metals that the European Union requires.
The new law applies to all baby foods manufactured on or after January 1, 2025, but consumers should be aware that existing products that do not meet the new guidelines do not have to be removed from retail shelves. Some experts say that scanning a QR code and then typing a batch number or searching by product name could make it difficult for busy caregivers to choose the baby food with the lowest levels while shopping.
As the new law rolls out, it’s possible to see even bigger reductions in heavy metals and other contaminants as companies battle for consumer loyalty. Experts say that the easiest way to lower the amount of heavy metals in a food is to water it down, so parents and caregivers should be careful consumers and read nutrition labels carefully.
