The actions are part of FDA's Closer to Zero initiative, which aims to continually reduce dietary exposure to toxic heavy metals among babies and young children.
The Baby Food Protection Act aims to set enforceable limits for total arsenic, lead, cadmium, and mercury, as well as a state testing program and labeling requirements for manufacturers.
Large-scale recycled manure use—a circular agriculture approach used to combat soil acidification that reduces crop yield—can lead to the accumulation of cadmium in soil, which is then taken up by rice crops, affecting food safety.
The first set of results focuses on acrylamide and certain toxic heavy metals. Although the levels of some contaminants in food are decreasing overall, the population's exposure still remains concerningly high.
The first reports from the MAHA-aligned Healthy Florida First initiatives raised concern about toxic heavy metals in infant formula and candy, but toxicologists say a lack of transparency around the methodology and risk assessment makes the findings difficult for experts to interpret and raises questions about the relevance to consumer health.
Florida unveiled the Healthy Florida First initiative, a MAHA-aligned product contaminant testing effort, alongside the initiative's first report focused on the presence of toxic heavy metals in infant formulas. Several products had elevated levels of arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury.
Illinois recently enacted a law that requires baby food manufacturers to test their products for toxic elements (i.e., lead, cadmium, arsenic, and mercury). By January 2027, the results must be made publicly available for consumers.
New research suggests that the most effective treatments for reducing levels of arsenic in rice are cultivar selection, irrigation management, cooking approach, and the application of selenium or silicon soil amendments.
Tests of 145 rice samples from retailers nationwide—including U.S.-grown and imported varieties—reveal that rice sold in the United States remains widely contaminated with arsenic.
After consumer groups petitioned the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to remove Lunchables from the National School Lunch Program due to toxic contaminants in September 2024, Kraft Heinz, the makers of Lunchables, voluntarily decided to pull its meal kits from the program.
