The baby food aisle at the grocery store can feel overwhelming, but a new law in California aims to help parents feel a little more informed as they choose from all the different options.

California Assembly Bill 899 (also known as AB 899) requires all baby food manufacturers to test their products for certain heavy metals such as arsenic, lead, cadmium, and mercury. And starting January 1, every manufacturer will also start including a QR code directly on product labels; code takes customers to a website where they can see how many of these heavy metals are in any baby food. The bill and regulations apply only to baby foods manufactured, sold, shipped or held in California. If you live in another state, you won’t necessarily see the QR code on the package, but you can still find the same information online if your baby food is also sold in California.

If you are wondering how these heavy metals and this new regulation can affect your baby’s health, that is completely normal. We spoke with Chandani DeZure, MD, a pediatrician, mom, and BabyCenter Medical Advisor, about what this news means and what to look for in the baby food aisle.

BabyCenter: Why are heavy metals in baby food?
Ph.D. A: Heavy metals like arsenic, lead, cadmium and mercury exist in nature and all around us, including in the soil and water (used to grow) fruits and vegetables, and even our meat.

BabyCenter: Since heavy metals are part of nature, do parents need to know how much heavy metals are in their baby’s food?
Ph.D. A: Yes, as a parent, you definitely want to be aware of the heavy metals in your baby’s food. We know that high exposure to certain heavy metals like lead can lead to problems with learning, behavior and attention. However, heavy metals exist in everything around us, so it is not realistic to completely eliminate them.

If you’re concerned (or just curious!) about your child’s exposure level, you can have your baby’s lead levels tested at your pediatrician’s office starting around age 1. The good news is that heavy metal poisoning (which can cause the adverse side effects mentioned above) would require a very high level of exposure, beyond what is found in typical baby food.

BabyCenter: Will parents notice any changes to baby food or baby food labels given the new regulations?
Ph.D. A: The law requires monthly laboratory testing for arsenic, cadmium, lead and mercury for all baby food manufactured, sold, shipped or held in California. These results will be published on baby food websites – parents can scan the QR code on the packaging to access this information online.

One concern I have about labeling and information availability is how to ensure that parents are correctly interpreting what they are reading. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is in the process of setting reference levels for heavy metals in your food so you can understand the information and make your own decisions about what to feed your family. Until then, it’s really challenging for parents to know what to do with the information. Lower values ​​are better, but in general, a diet full of fresh vegetables, fruits, and a variety of grains, whether store-bought or prepared, will be a nutritionally optimal choice. If parents want to follow how the FDA determines the “action level” (or how much is too much) for these heavy metals, they can follow the FDA’s “Closer to zero”..

BabyCenter: What should parents pay attention to when buying ready-made baby food?
Ph.D. A: Since you will now be able to see the amount of heavy metals in the baby food you buy, it is important to try to choose the options with the lowest amount. It is not realistic to expect that there is no heavy metals in baby food (or any food for that matter) and finally, a diet with a variety of foods is more important than eliminating certain foods high in heavy metals.

And if you can, try to buy organic. This will not necessarily reduce exposure to heavy metals, but fruits and vegetables may have lower levels of pesticides and other chemicals.

You can also look for options with very few ingredients and minimal added sugar. And if you’re not able to look at the label every time you go to the grocery store, or can’t buy organic, don’t stress. It’s all about doing what you can.

BabyCenter: Should parents make their own baby food to reduce exposure to these heavy metals?Ph.D. A: When it comes to homemade baby food versus store-bought baby food, there is no data to suggest that homemade baby food has lower levels of heavy metals than store-bought food. But homemade food can have additional benefits because homemade options are less processed.

To be completely fair, some heavy metals like zinc and iron are also necessary for normal development, so not all heavy metals are necessarily bad. All that to say, homemade is great when you can, but ready-made baby food is just fine too.

To reduce exposure to toxic heavy metals, it is best to feed your baby a variety of foods, especially fruits and vegetables.

– Chandani DeZure, MD, pediatrician, mom, and BabyCenter Medical Advisor

BabyCenter: How can parents reduce exposure to heavy metals in their baby’s food?
Ph.D. A: To reduce exposure to toxic heavy metals, it is best to feed your baby a variety of foods, especially fruits and vegetables. Researchers are working hard to find out which foods contain more heavy metals, but right now we know that foods like spinach, grape juice and rice-based foods tend to have the highest amounts. This does not mean that you should avoid feeding your baby these foods all together, it just means that you try to limit the amount he eats when you can, and add other foods instead.

Foods that tend to have the lowest amount of heavy metals include:

• bananas

• apples

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• oranges

• watermelon

• green beans

• peas

• butternut squash

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• cheese

• yogurt

• eggs

• meat

• beans

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You don’t have to avoid rice just because it can be the biggest offender, just rotate what you give your baby. Non-rice grains such as pasta or quinoa are also good additions to their diet. Washing and peeling your produce can also help reduce exposure to pesticides and heavy metals, as can buying some fresh organic produce. The Environmental Working Group (an organization that regularly researches the safety of our food) makes it easy to understand what to buy organic (and what not to) with A dirty dozen and a clean 15.

After all, as long as you’re serving your baby a variety of foods, you’re doing the absolute best thing for her. When these new regulations come out, be careful about the foods you buy and talk to your pediatrician if you have questions about what options might be best for your family.