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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 standards—for 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.
What are FDA “action levels”?
Why are action levels for a particular heavy metal different by food?
Why aren’t action levels for cadmium, mercury, and some foods established yet?
What’s the difference between total arsenic, organic arsenic, and inorganic arsenic?
Is it safe for my baby to eat foods containing heavy metals?