HBBF tested 288 foods - including popular baby foods like sweet potatoes, carrots, cereal, and bananas - and examined 7000+ additional food tests from other published studies.We found no evidence to suggest that homemade purees and family brands are generally safer, with lower metal levels, than store-bought baby food.
Our study includes a new parent’s guide of popular baby foods to serve, limit, and avoid, based on our tests.
- Four popular foods consumed by babies are so heavily contaminated by heavy metals that we recommend avoiding them altogether.
- Fourteen foods have little contamination and can be served freely.
- Twenty-two foods have moderate to relatively high amounts of heavy metals, to be eaten rarely or in rotation with other foods. For some of these foods, preparation matters — peeling and cooking can lower the heavy metal content.
