An FDA Update: The Latest on Heavy Metals

FDA Update on Lead

Recently, FDA announced new industry standards for lead in processed foods intended for babies and children under two years of age. Foods covered by the draft guidance, Action Levels for Lead in Food Intended for Babies and Young Children include processed foods such as food packaged in jars, pouches, tubs and boxes.

The new guidelines for lead are as follows:

• 10 parts per billion (ppb) for fruits, vegetables (excluding single-ingredient root vegetables), mixed meals (including grain and meat-based mixtures), yogurts, custards/pudding and single-ingredient meats.
• 20 ppb for root vegetables (single ingredient like carrots, sweet potatoes).
• 20 ppb for dry cereals.

These new action limits are not mandatory, but the FDA may take various enforcement actions if they consider a food to be adulterated if it exceeds the new limits. Although this is a step in the right direction, more needs to be done to reduce exposure - and it is up to the manufacturers to lower the levels of contaminants in their products.

Currently, there are no set industry standards for toxic heavy metals in cadmium and mercury.

Our Commitment To You

Our commitment to our Square Baby Family has always been the same - to provide safe, healthy, and balanced food for your baby. That includes working with trusted organic farms and suppliers as well as monitoring and testing for heavy metals in our finished meals. We stand by that promise and want to share our continued efforts and dedication to our families.

Read more to find out how we have minimized heavy metals in baby food.

Don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions by emailing us at hello@squarebaby.com or visiting squarebaby.com.

For support or FAQ, please visit us here.

~Katie and Kendall, cofounders