Compare baby & toddler food

Research · Baby & toddler food

What our research found about baby & toddler food

Baby and toddler foods are a case where the ingredient list is only part of the story. Consumer Reports’ testing found arsenic, cadmium and lead in many popular baby and toddler foods, with rice-based cereals and snacks higher than fruit and vegetable purees, and the FDA has set an action level of 100 parts per billion for inorganic arsenic in infant rice cereal. Brands that publish lot-level heavy-metal testing give parents more to go on than a general “tested” claim.

Beyond contaminants, compare what the product is made of and how it fits the stage: single-ingredient purees, vegetable-forward blends, and snack bars differ in sugar, texture and choking risk. Honey is not recommended for infants under 12 months, and some pouches are mostly fruit puree, so check the first ingredients, added sugars and the age stage on the label, and follow your pediatrician’s guidance on starting solids and allergens.

Products

121 brand

Full labels recorded

00% of the shelf

Maker says organic

0maker’s claim

Counts use complete, current ingredient labels only. Records without a published label stay unknown and are never counted as clean.

What to compare

• Vegetables and fruit first. Look for whole vegetables, fruit, legumes or meat as the first ingredients rather than juice or sweeteners.
• Rice-based products. Rice cereals and snacks were higher in arsenic in testing; vary grains.
• Heavy-metal testing. Prefer brands that publish recent, lot-level testing results.
• Stage and texture. Match the stage on the package to your child’s age and ask your pediatrician about textures and allergens.

References

1. Heavy metals in baby food: what you need to know Consumer Reports
2. Action level for inorganic arsenic in infant rice cereals U.S. Food and Drug Administration
3. Arsenic in food and dietary supplements U.S. Food and Drug Administration
4. Dietary Guidelines for Americans U.S. Department of Agriculture and HHS
5. Organic labeling and what the USDA Organic seal means USDA Agricultural Marketing Service