A recent study found that 65 percent of a sample of 500 screened infant formula and baby food products (from 60 brands) contained arsenic.
Clean Label Project, with a third-party analytical chemistry laboratory, tested the products for more than 130 toxins, including:
- Heavy metals
- BPA
- Pesticides
- Cancer-linked chemicals
Of the baby products tested:
- 65 percent contained arsenic
- 36 percent contained lead
- 58 percent contained cadmium (a metal found in batteries)
- 10 percent contained acrylamides (linked to brain damage, cancer, and reproductive harm)
Gerber was one of the worst offenders with at least one product in the bottom five in every category except infant formulas.
The top five and bottom five products in each category can be found here.
The following infant companies had formulas and baby foods tested in the study:
365 Everyday Value, Abbott, Amara, Annie’s Homegrown, Babie’s “R” Us, Baby Mum-Mum, Baby’s Only, Bambino’s, Beech-Nut, Comforts for Baby, Comforts for Toddler, Doctor Rachs, Earth’s Best, Ella’s Kitchen, Enfagrow, Enfamil, Gerber, Happy Baby, Happy Tot, Healthy Times, Holle, Kabrita, Kellogg’s, Kiddylicious, Kidfresh, Kirkland, Little Duck ORganics, Member’s Mark, Mom to Mom, Nestle, Nosh!, Nursery, NurturMe, Nutramigen, Nutricia Neocate, O Organics, Orgain, Organix, OrgaNums, Parent’s Choice, Peaceful Planet, Pedialyte, PediaSmart!, PediaSure, PediaVance, Plum Organics, Pregestimil, Pumpkin Tree, Pure Spoon, Similac, Simple Truth Organic, Smuckers, Sprout, Sweetie Pie ORganics, The Honest Co., Up & Up, Vermont Organics and Yummy Spoonfuls.