Marking the first time a U.S. baby food producer has made such a promise, company Little Spoon has launched a new transparency initiative called “Little Spoon, Big Change,” which commits the company to strict, EU-aligned food safety standards for toxic heavy metals, pesticides, and plasticizers. The company says it will never sell product that exceeds strict limits for more than 500 chemical contaminants of concern, and that testing results for its products will be made publicly available on its website.

Little Spoon states that it is the only company in the U.S. baby food sector to voluntarily set and verify such rigorous, transparent safety standards, and has called upon the rest of the industry to follow suit. "We won't see large-scale changes until companies like Little Spoon take action," said Bruce Lanphear, M.D., M.P.H., a researcher of childhood exposure to toxins who serves as a scientific advisor to Little Spoon. “Companies don't need to wait for regulations—they can lead the charge.”