2. What is the Impact?

Over 90% of parents rely on packaged convenience foods.¹ The amount of heavy metal these foods can contain is largely unregulated by the Food and Drug Administration.

Heavy metal exposure can have long-term impacts on your baby’s health and quality of life.³ For example, research has linked early childhood exposure to inorganic arsenic and lead to lower IQ scores and lower socioeconomic status in adulthood.

3. How Does It Get There?

Heavy metals turn up in our foods as a result of the soil, water, farming practices (like pesticide application), and pollution in the environment a food is grown and manufactured in. Surprisingly, organic baby and toddler foods do not contain lower levels of heavy metals, despite organic foods not being sprayed with pesticides. (4.)

4. How Can I Avoid Heavy Metals?

Avoid regularly serving infant versions of juices, packaged sweet potato or carrots, or rice based foods and snacks as these foods contain higher levels of heavy metals.⁶ Switch rice cereals and snacks for oats, barley, or other iron-fortified, whole grain options.

Aim to serve whole food snacks like fruits, vegetables, cheeses, or whole grain, homemade bars or muffins in place of processed cookies, crackers, puffs, crisps, and other snack foods packaged for babies and toddlers. If you do opt for packaged baby and toddler food products, stick with fruit and vegetable options as they are shown to contain the lowest amounts of metals.