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These baby foods and formulas tested positive for arsenic, lead and BPA in new study

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A new study which looked at baby food, including infant formula, was released on Wednesday, and the results are absolutely devastating. The study found that many baby food products and 80 percent of infant formula tested positive for arsenic. Many of the foods and formulas come from major brand names.






According to USA Today, A non-profit organization that has dedicated itself to advocating on behalf of transparent labeling, The Clean Label Project, tested baby food, toddler food, baby formula, and drinks and snacks produced for toddlers throughout the course of the last five months. Several top brands tested positive for arsenic, including:

  • Gerber,
  • Enfamil
  • Plum Organics
  • Sprout

As frightening as it is to realize that your baby’s food and formula could contain arsenic, it’s important to note that many of the foods people consume contain trace amounts of arsenic: brown rice, shellfish, brussels sprouts, and even some chicken, to name a few, according to Rodale’s Organic Life.




Here is the issue, though. The study by The Clean Label Project did not simply find trace amounts of arsenic in the baby food and formulas they tested. While there was obviously a range throughout the 530 different products, some tested as high as 600 parts per billion of arsenic.

The study also found that products that were labeled “organic” were found to have a whopping double the amount of arsenic compared to conventional baby food. In total, 65 percent of the 530 foods tested positive for arsenic, despite the fact that the FDA proposed a limit of 100 parts per billion of arsenic 2016. Consuming high levels of arsenic in food or beverages can have a life-altering effect on children, according to the World Health Organization, increasing their chances of getting cancer, skin lesions, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and hindering their development. It can also hinder fine motor skills and cause children to struggle with retaining information.




Not only did The Clean Label Project find high levels of arsenic in baby food and infant formula, it also noted that 58 percent of these products tested positive for cadmium, a toxic heavy metal normally found in work environments. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has linked chronic exposure to cadmium to renal failure, respiratory diseases, developmental difficulties, cardiovascular disease, and skeletal lesions. According to the CDC, the highestadult recommended dose for cadmium in food is 1 x 10-3 mg/kg/day (ATSDR 1999). Soy-based infant formulas tested the worst, with seven times more cadmium than other formulas.

As for the dreaded BPA (Bisphenol-A, a toxic chemical that is often found in the lining of food containers and hygiene products), the study found that a full 60 percent of products which claimed to be BPA-free tested positive for BPA. According to Healthline: