FDA Action Levels for Heavy Metals: Your Questions Answered | Gerber | Gerber
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Answers to Your Questions About FDA Action Levels for Heavy Metals

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At Gerber, we’re proud to lead the way in quality and safety. We understand that parents and caregivers have concerns about heavy metals in baby food. That’s why we’re committed to providing clear information about our processes and standardsfor the peace of mind you deserve when feeding your little one.

Heavy metals like lead, cadmium, mercury, and arsenic naturally occur in the earth’s crust and can be absorbed by crops through soil and water, even if they’re grown in your own garden. As part of their Closer to Zero initiative, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) establishes “action levels” for limits of heavy metal amounts in food made for babies and young children. Here are the latest:

Foods for infants and children under 2 years with FDA action levels 

Lead 

Inorganic Arsenic 

Dry infant rice cereal 

20 ppb 

100 ppb 

Dry infant cereal not containing rice 

20 ppb 

Not established 

Single ingredient root vegetables (carrots, sweet potatoes) 

20 ppb 

Not established 

Fruits, vegetables, grains, meats, yogurts, and blends of these foods 

10 ppb 

Not established 

Apple juice 

Not established 

10 ppb 

PPB = parts per billion, or equal to a single drop of water in an Olympic sized swimming pool. These are final action levels. Action levels that are not yet finalized by the FDA (but may be available as a draft proposal) are indicated as "not established.” Final action levels for cadmium and mercury have not yet been established.  



Parents and caregivers can rest assured all Gerber foods meet the FDA’s new action levels, U.S. regulations, and our own strict standards for dietary exposure to contaminants.  

 

We’ve long taken proactive steps to minimize heavy metals in our ingredients, and we're committed to continuing these efforts. We prioritize sourcing from regions with lower levels of heavy metals, and we test crops, water, ingredients, and finished products using the latest technology. You can access our product test results here. 

 

We’ve answered your most frequently asked questions about FDA action levels below. 

 
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