With recent reports of heavy metals being found in baby food products, parents are rightfully concerned1. The findings have sparked questions about how these elements are making their way into foods and why there aren’t any regulations or standards to limit them. While the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has introduced the ‘Closer To Zero’ initiative to minimize contaminants, Little Spoon has gone a step further, setting strict limits and testing for over 500 toxins in their products.To give parents peace of mind and empower them to make informed choices, Little Spoon has launched their Little Spoon, Big Change initiative which aims to set best-in-class standards that share real-time testing results with the public.
What are baby food test results and why are they important?
Baby food products go through tests after they have been manufactured and before they hit the shelves. Little Spoon is the first and only brand in the United States to set strict limits and test finished baby products by a third-party accredited lab for more than 500 toxins and contaminants, based on the best-in-class EU standards. This includes heavy metals, pesticides and plasticizers. Heavy metals include Lead, Arsenic, Cadmium, and Mercury. Pesticides include Glyphosate and residue from 548 compounds. Plasticizers include BPA and BPS. And, get this–no product will be sold unless it passes their testing. This offers parents tremendous transparency in an otherwise challenging industry to navigate. Third-party testing is critical because it ensures unbiased, transparent results, giving parents confidence that the products are safe for their children. No other baby food brands in the U.S. are meeting these standards to this extent, which makes Little Spoon’s approach truly one-of-a-kind. Learn more about their commitment here.
This is especially important because although the FDA conducts research to provide the food industry with guidance on heavy metals, the US does not have federal regulations in place for limiting the levels of chemical contaminants in baby food1. As a result, Little Spoon is looking at the strict standards set forth by the EU (European Union) to guide their maximum limit benchmarks for the various food contaminants. These benchmarks for heavy metals2, pesticides3, and plasticizers4 have been long trusted in the baby food space globally and are widely trusted by parents, myself included.
What do baby food test results mean?
Baby food test results help to determine if a baby food product will make it to shelves for consumers to purchase. Because Little Spoon believes baby food should be safe and wholesome, they have set product standards, inspired by the EU thresholds, to set strict limits on contaminants in their Babyblends. Little Spoon will never sell Babyblends that have not met their safety standard. These contaminants are measured in a unit called Parts Per Billion, which translates to 1 part in 1 billion. Think of 1 part per billion as a single drop of water in an olympic-sized swimming pool.
It’s important to note that a contaminant’s dose determines if an adverse reaction will be had. Knowing this, parents can feel confident that the standards set forth by Little Spoon are well below the levels that can be harmful. Any Little Spoon product that falls at or above the set limits will be discarded. As a parent to a toddler with another one on the way, I am especially happy to hear that the Babyblends that don’t meet these standards will not be sold. Peace of mind!
Why is Little Spoon putting their standards on display?
As parents, we make decisions every day to ensure the health and safety of our children. That’s why I’m proud to partner with Little Spoon. Little Spoon follows the EU’s highly trusted limits on heavy metals and other contaminants—guidelines that are recognized globally for protecting baby food safety. They will never sell a Babyblend that doesn’t meet these rigorous standards. Their Babyblends are tested for over 500 toxins and contaminants, including heavy metals like lead and arsenic, to guarantee the highest quality. Their commitment to these strict benchmarks truly sets them apart, giving parents the confidence that every product they offer is held to the world’s best safety standards. To learn more about the Little Spoon, Big Change initiative and their unwavering dedication to safety, visit littlespoonbigchange.com.
- https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/heavy-metals-in-baby-food-what-parents-should-know-and-do-2021030522088 ↩︎
- https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2023/915/oj
↩︎ - https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv%3AOJ.L_.2005.070.01.0001.01.ENG&toc=OJ%3AL%3A2005%3A070%3ATOC
↩︎ - https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32018R0213
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