If you’ve been following the concerns about heavy metals in baby food, you know parents have been calling for stronger regulations for years. Now, there’s finally movement: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) just announced its final guidance on action levels for lead in processed food intended for babies and young children.
This new update, part of the FDA’s Closer to Zero initiative, aims to reduce lead exposure in young children. While lead is naturally found in soil and water—meaning some exposure is inevitable—even low levels of exposure can pose risks to developing brains.
However, some advocacy groups argue that these new limits don’t go far enough to make a real impact. One major concern? The new limits are not legally enforceable, meaning companies are expected—but not required—to comply.
Related: What you need to know about the ‘arsenic in baby food’ study
What are the new lead limits for baby food?
The FDA’s new action levels set the following limits on lead content in processed foods for babies and young children:
- 10 parts per billion (ppb) for fruits, vegetables (except single-ingredient root vegetables), mixtures (including grain- and meat-based mixtures), yogurts, custards/puddings, and single-ingredient meats.
- 20 ppb for single-ingredient root vegetables (like carrots and sweet potatoes).
- 20 ppb for dry infant cereals.
These limits reflect what the FDA believes manufacturers can reasonably achieve while reducing lead exposure. However, without enforceability, compliance is voluntary.
What does this mean for parents?
First things first: There’s no need to panic or toss out your baby’s food. The FDA isn’t telling parents to avoid specific foods—it’s setting a standard for manufacturers to follow.
The best thing you can do is offer your child a variety of foods. A diverse diet helps limit exposure to any one contaminant while providing essential nutrients. The FDA also emphasizes the importance of nutrient-rich foods, as having adequate iron, calcium, and vitamin C can help minimize the body’s absorption of lead.
Still, some experts believe these new limits won’t significantly reduce lead exposure since most baby foods already meet them. “Nearly all baby foods on the market already comply with these limits, making the new standards largely ineffective,” said Jane Houlihan, national director of science and health for Healthy Babies Bright Futures, a coalition focused on reducing babies’ exposure to neurotoxic chemicals.
In fact, experts estimate that these new limits will only reduce children’s total dietary lead exposure by less than 4%—a small improvement.
Related: The FDA is finally taking steps to reduce lead in baby food
What about baby snacks and formula?
One major gap in the FDA’s new guidance? It doesn’t cover infant formula, snack foods like puffs, or beverages. The FDA has previously issued action levels for lead in juice, but it’s still gathering data on grain-based snacks (like teething biscuits and puffs) to determine if specific limits are needed there, too.
Advocacy groups have called for stronger regulations across all baby and toddler foods, noting that lead and other heavy metals are often found in snack items. Experts also highlight that infant formula, homemade baby food ingredients, and foods outside the baby food aisle account for much of children’s lead exposure—yet remain unregulated.
Related: Report Finds Heavy Metals in Homemade Baby Food
The bigger picture: Is baby food getting safer?
While the FDA’s guidance sets voluntary limits, some states are taking matters into their own hands. A new California law now requires baby food manufacturers to publicly disclose test results for heavy metals like lead, arsenic, cadmium, and mercury. As of January 1, 2025, parents can scan a QR code on baby food packaging to access test results, offering an unprecedented level of transparency.
Experts believe this could be a game-changer. “With all this information going public, we’re going to force the conversation—what are we feeding America’s children?” said Jaclyn Bowen, executive director of the Clean Label Project. Major brands like Gerber and Beech-Nut are already rolling out QR codes nationwide, even though the law only applies in California.
Some advocacy groups believe this kind of transparency will do more to reduce toxic metals in baby food than FDA guidelines alone. Scott Faber of the Environmental Working Group noted that “marketplace changes may drive down toxic metal levels more effectively than anything the FDA might ultimately do.”
With parents armed with real data, companies will likely feel more pressure to clean up their ingredients. The hope is that this move will spark national change, encouraging other states—or even the federal government—to follow suit.
At the same time, the Closer to Zero initiative, launched in 2021, aims to lower lead and other heavy metals in baby and toddler foods over time. The FDA says it will continue assessing whether these action levels should be updated as new research emerges. However, critics argue that federal regulations remain too slow and lack enforceability.
“The harm is permanent, and the delay has put countless kids at unnecessary risk,” Faber said.
The FDA has made gradual changes to regulate heavy metals in baby food, but many experts say those efforts fall short. In 2020, it lowered arsenic limits in infant rice cereal, but critics said it wasn’t enough. In 2022, it proposed lower lead limits in juice, but that guidance was never finalized.
Ultimately, while the new California law pushes for greater transparency, it doesn’t solve the bigger issue: the lack of enforceable national standards. Until that changes, parents will need to rely on the data provided by manufacturers and continue advocating for stronger regulations.
Related: ‘Concerning’ levels of lead found in popular brands of puffs—what parents need to know
Why does this matter? The impact of lead exposure on children
While lead exposure is concerning, the risk varies depending on the level and duration of exposure. Experts stress that parents should feel informed, not alarmed. Most children exposed to small amounts of lead will not experience immediate health effects, but long-term exposure is the bigger concern.
The WHO considers lead one of the top 10 chemicals of concern worldwide, and research highlights its impact:
- A 2023 study in The Lancet found that children under 5 lost 765 million IQ points worldwide in 2019 due to lead exposure.
- The EPA states that there is no level of lead exposure that is safe and that childhood exposure has been linked to learning disabilities, nervous system damage, and behavioral issues.
While these numbers are sobering, experts emphasize that parents can take proactive steps to lower their child’s risk through dietary variety, proper nutrition, and awareness of potential sources of exposure. The FDA’s guidance is a step in the right direction, but continued efforts from both regulators and parents will be key in keeping baby food safe.
Related: WanaBana puree pouch recall—’may contain elevated levels of lead’
What can parents do?
While government regulations play a crucial role in keeping baby food safe, there are a few steps parents can take to limit exposure to heavy metals:
The bottom line
While the FDA’s latest move is a step in the right direction, experts agree that more needs to be done to truly protect babies from lead exposure. For now, the best thing parents can do is stay informed, push for stronger regulations, and continue offering their little ones a balanced, diverse diet. Because when it comes to protecting babies, closer to zero isn’t just a goal—it’s a necessity.
Sources:
- FDA’s guidance for baby food. FDA. 2025. “FDA Issues Final Guidance for Industry on Action Levels for Lead in Processed Food Intended for Babies and Young Children.”
- FDA on food contaminants. FDA. 2025. “Closer to Zero: Reducing Childhood Exposure to Contaminants from Foods.”
- Hazards of lead toxicity. PMC. 2020.“Lead Toxicity: Health Hazards, Influence on Food Chain, and Sustainable Remediation Approaches.”
- Lead’s impact on brain. ScienceDirect. 2021. “Lead (Pb) and neurodevelopment: A review on exposure and biomarkers of effect (BDNF, HDL) and susceptibility”
- FDA on healthy food choices for babies. FDA. 2025. “Help Protect Children from Environmental Contaminants: Healthy Food Choices for Your Baby Aged 6-12 Months”
- Baby’s diet and nutrition. ScienceDirect. 2018. Nutritional status and diet as predictors of children’s lead concentrations in blood and urine.
- Heavy metals and baby food. PMC. 2022. “A Narrative Review of Toxic Heavy Metal Content of Infant and Toddler Foods and Evaluation of United States Policy.”
- California law for baby food labels. ABC. 2025. “Baby food labels will reveal levels of lead, other heavy metals for first time under California law”
- FDA’s new limit. CNN. 2025. “FDA disappoints child advocates with its new limit on lead in baby food”
- Baby food labels advisory. CNN. 2025. “Baby food labels will reveal levels of lead and other heavy metals for first time”
