Pantry · Product label guide
Baby & toddler food: compare ingredients, then choose.
Compare purees, pouches, and toddler snacks by ingredients, added sugar, and heavy-metal testing.
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
- Heavy metals in baby food: what you need to know Consumer Reports
- Action level for inorganic arsenic in infant rice cereals U.S. Food and Drug Administration
- Arsenic in food and dietary supplements U.S. Food and Drug Administration
- Dietary Guidelines for Americans U.S. Department of Agriculture and HHS
- Organic labeling and what the USDA Organic seal means USDA Agricultural Marketing Service
Compare the recorded labels
Find the ingredients that matter to you.
“No …” columns: None found on the label · Listed on the label · Unknown. Claims: verified · not established. Default: most check marks first; not a health score.
| Buy | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Not scored | Search on Amazon ↗Product details → | 0 | ||||||
Recorded ingredients Unknown Label needs review — · US Producer claims Sourcing claim not reviewed The catalog establishes this product’s name and photograph. Sourcing claims and a complete ingredient label may still need review. Producer claim source ↗Reviewed | ||||||||
| Not scored | Search on Amazon ↗Product details → | 0 | ||||||
Recorded ingredients Unknown Label needs review — · US Producer claims Sourcing claim not reviewed The catalog establishes this product’s name and photograph. Sourcing claims and a complete ingredient label may still need review. Producer claim source ↗Reviewed | ||||||||
| Not scored | Search on Amazon ↗Product details → | 0 | ||||||
Recorded ingredients Unknown Label needs review — · US Producer claims Sourcing claim not reviewed The catalog establishes this product’s name and photograph. Sourcing claims and a complete ingredient label may still need review. Producer claim source ↗Reviewed | ||||||||
| Not scored | Search on Amazon ↗Product details → | 0 | ||||||
Recorded ingredients Unknown Label needs review — · US Producer claims Sourcing claim not reviewed The catalog establishes this product’s name and photograph. Sourcing claims and a complete ingredient label may still need review. Producer claim source ↗Reviewed | ||||||||
| Not scored | Search on Amazon ↗Product details → | 0 | ||||||
Recorded ingredients Unknown Label needs review — · US Producer claims Sourcing claim not reviewed The catalog establishes this product’s name and photograph. Sourcing claims and a complete ingredient label may still need review. Producer claim source ↗Reviewed | ||||||||
| Not scored | Search on Amazon ↗Product details → | 0 | ||||||
Recorded ingredients Unknown Label needs review — · US Producer claims Sourcing claim not reviewed The catalog establishes this product’s name and photograph. Sourcing claims and a complete ingredient label may still need review. Producer claim source ↗Reviewed | ||||||||
| Not scored | Search on Amazon ↗Product details → | 0 | ||||||
Recorded ingredients Unknown Label needs review — · US Producer claims Sourcing claim not reviewed The catalog establishes this product’s name and photograph. Sourcing claims and a complete ingredient label may still need review. Producer claim source ↗Reviewed | ||||||||
| Not scored | Search on Amazon ↗Product details → | 0 | ||||||
Recorded ingredients Unknown Label needs review — · US Producer claims Sourcing claim not reviewed The catalog establishes this product’s name and photograph. Sourcing claims and a complete ingredient label may still need review. Producer claim source ↗Reviewed | ||||||||
| Not scored | Search on Amazon ↗Product details → | 0 | ||||||
Recorded ingredients Unknown Label needs review — · US Producer claims Sourcing claim not reviewed The catalog establishes this product’s name and photograph. Sourcing claims and a complete ingredient label may still need review. Producer claim source ↗Reviewed | ||||||||
| Not scored | Search on Amazon ↗Product details → | 0 | ||||||
Recorded ingredients Unknown Label needs review — · US Producer claims Sourcing claim not reviewed The catalog establishes this product’s name and photograph. Sourcing claims and a complete ingredient label may still need review. Producer claim source ↗Reviewed | ||||||||
| Not scored | Search on Amazon ↗Product details → | 0 | ||||||
Recorded ingredients Unknown Label needs review — · US Producer claims Sourcing claim not reviewed The catalog establishes this product’s name and photograph. Sourcing claims and a complete ingredient label may still need review. Producer claim source ↗Reviewed | ||||||||
| Not scored | Search on Amazon ↗Product details → | 0 | ||||||
Recorded ingredients Unknown Label needs review — · US Producer claims Sourcing claim not reviewed The catalog establishes this product’s name and photograph. Sourcing claims and a complete ingredient label may still need review. Producer claim source ↗Reviewed | ||||||||
Unknown and stale evidence never passes “Only show matches.” The clean score is strict and needs no setup: nine additive groups on the current label plus verified organic and sourcing claims; without them a product cannot reach 100. It is not a nutrition, allergy, or safety rating.
“Buy on Amazon” opens a reviewed product listing; “Search on Amazon” opens an Amazon search for the product, so pick the exact match yourself. Confirm the package, seller, availability, and current price before checkout. Buying links do not influence ingredient results.
01 · A closer look
Your preferences, explained.
The clean score is strict and needs no setup: nine additive groups not found in a current ingredient statement, plus a verified organic claim (and a grass-fed or pasture-raised claim for animal foods), are needed for 100; a possible match earns half and a missing claim earns nothing. Missing or expired evidence stays unknown. It does not assess nutrition, allergies, contaminants, or safety.