Yumi - Baby Food Reimagined

Recent Findings on Heavy Metals

We’ve been disturbed by the latest headlines revealing concerning levels of heavy metals in popular, store-bought baby food brands. A 2021 report found that, "commercial baby foods are tainted with significant levels of toxic heavy metals, including arsenic, lead, cadmium, and mercury."

This is a major reason we created Yumi. And why we’ve kept it clean from Day One.

Yumi is the recipient of the Clean Label Project Purity Award.
Clean Label Project is science-based third-party expert that tests for over 400 environmental and industrial toxins, including heavy metals.

How we’re different

• Trusted sources

We partner with trusted farms who are USDA Certified Organic, Non-GMO Project Verified and follow rigorous food safety testing. We also look at federal data on soil contamination to find the best farms.

• Ingredient Selection

We carefully choose our ingredients, avoiding some such as rice, which is known to be high in arsenic. Unfortunately, rice is one of the most popular ingredients in store-bought baby food because it is abundant and cheap. We believe families — especially babies — deserve higher standards.

• Regular Testing

We regularly test our ingredients and finished products for heavy metals.

• Cooking & Handling

As our families know, we make our meals in small batches and use light processing, to keep your food tasting like, well, real food.

• No Questionable Additives

Our meals are not fortified and do not include artificial additives. The 2021 government report noted that certain additives, such as poorly vetted vitamin mixes, can lead to high heavy metal results in baby food products.

• Clean Label Project Purity Award

We're meticulous about what we give your baby, and what we don't. As the recipient of the Clean Label Project Purity Award you can feel great knowing that Yumi blends are tested for over 400 environemental and industrial toxins.

Babies' vulnerable bodies and brains are far more sensitive to harmful metals and chemicals. Even slight exposure in the first 1,000 days of life can have long lasting effects for years to come.

How do heavy metals get into your baby's food?

Contaminated Soil

Just because a product is organic, doesn't mean it's necessarily good for you or even free of heavy metals. Many heavy metals still make their way to plants even in organic soil. That's because contaminated water run-off, not pesticides, are the common cause of metal in soil.

Cooking & Handling Processes

Contaminants, on the other hand, are caused by contaminated cooking water, metals used in the food processing equipment, over-processing and overheating certain foods.

A Map to the Metals

Heavy metals occur naturally in soil—in fact, the USDA measures soil for mineral levels yearly. However, things go awry when food comes into contact with water run-off or soil contaminated through farming or industrial manufacturing practices.

Why it matters

Studies show that exposure to lead, can cause learning and behavioral problems. According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, it can cause lasting problems with growth and development including lower IQ, Autism, ADHD, hearing problems, and Anemia.

A Map to the Metals

A Guide to Our Food

We Use Heavy Metal Fighters

Binders

Tomatoes, blueberries, spirulina and garlic bind to heavy metals in the digestive track and remove them.

Blockers

Broccoli, kale and beans are high in calcium and iron, two nutrients that block lead absorption. Vitamin C helps boost absorption of iron, so we recommend serving iron rich foods with foods rich in vitamin C like kiwis, papaya, peppers or tomatoes.