Homemade vs Store-Bought Baby Food: Which Has Fewer Heavy Metals?

The short answer

Not automatically. Healthy Babies Bright Futures (HBBF) tested 288 foods and found detectable heavy metals in 94% of store-bought baby foods and 94% of homemade purees and family-brand foods [1]. It found no evidence that homemade food is lower in metals; levels depended on the type of food, not who made it [1]. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) says variety matters just as much when you make baby food at home [3].

This is general information, not medical advice. Talk to your pediatrician about your child's diet.

Is homemade baby food lower in heavy metals than store-bought?

No clear difference was found in the largest public comparison. HBBF bought pairs of comparable foods, one baby-food brand and one homemade or "family" version, and had them tested for arsenic, lead, cadmium, and mercury [2]. Both groups came out at 94% with one or more detectable metals [1].

More than three-quarters of foods carried several metals at once: 81% of baby foods and 76% of family-style foods [2]. The metals also split differently. Lead and cadmium were found more often in baby-food brands, while arsenic and mercury were found less often in them than in homemade purees and family brands [2].

The takeaway is not that one route is "clean". Metals come from soil, water, and the environment, so they reach a carrot whether it ends up in a jar or your blender [3].

Why does the type of food matter more than who makes it?

Because metals are taken up by the plant while it grows. The AAP explains that metals occur naturally in the Earth's crust and are also released as pollution into the water and soil used to grow food [3]. Rice absorbs more arsenic from groundwater than other crops [3], and root vegetables such as carrots and sweet potatoes can carry more lead, arsenic, and cadmium [2].

HBBF summarized it directly: heavy metal levels "varied widely by food type, not by who made the food" [1]. Cooking at home does not remove what is already inside the food, although peeling and cooking can lower levels for some foods [2].

Which baby foods had the most and the least heavy metals?

Rice-based snacks topped the list. HBBF's analysis of more than 7,000 food tests ranked these as the most and least contaminated foods eaten by babies [1][2]:

Most contaminated (highest first)	Least contaminated (lowest first)
Rice cakes	Bananas
Crisped rice cereal	Grits
Rice-based puffs	Baby-food brand meats
Brown rice	Butternut squash
Rice-based teething biscuits and rusks	Lamb
White rice	Apples
Raisins	Pork
Teething crackers (non-rice)	Eggs
Granola bar with raisins	Oranges
Oat-ring cereal	Watermelon

Source: HBBF, Is Homemade Baby Food Better? [1][2]. For more on rice snacks, see our explainer on arsenic in baby rice snacks.

What rules cover store-bought baby food but not homemade?

FDA's lead action levels apply to packaged food for children under two, not to purees made at home. FDA's final guidance covers food sold in jars, pouches, tubs, or boxes and sets 10 ppb for fruits, most vegetables, mixtures, yogurts, custards/puddings, and single-ingredient meats, and 20 ppb for single-ingredient root vegetables and dry infant cereals [4]. FDA also has an action level of 100 ppb inorganic arsenic for infant rice cereal [5].

These levels are part of FDA's Closer to Zero work to lower toxic elements in foods for babies and young children over time [6]. FDA notes the action levels are not meant to direct consumer food choices and recommends a varied, nutrient-dense diet [4]. We compare the lead and cadmium numbers in FDA lead vs cadmium action levels.

How can I make homemade baby food with fewer heavy metals?

Rotate foods and change a few swaps. These steps come from the AAP, FDA, and HBBF [2][3][7]:

1. Rotate vegetables. Serve a variety instead of carrots, potatoes, and sweet potatoes every day; HBBF estimated a 43% reduction in total heavy metals from that swap [2].
2. Wash and peel. Wash produce under cold running water, and peel root vegetables; HBBF found peeling and cooking can lower metal content for some foods [2][3].
3. Vary grains. Use oat, barley, quinoa, or multigrain instead of relying on rice [3][7].
4. Cook rice like pasta. FDA says cooking rice in 6 to 10 parts water and draining can cut inorganic arsenic by 40 to 60 percent, though it also lowers added nutrients in enriched rice [7].
5. Pick fresh or frozen fruit. HBBF found lead 30 times more often in canned fruit than in fresh and frozen fruit [2].
6. Check your water. Test well water for arsenic and older plumbing for lead before using it in purees [3][7].

When does homemade baby food still make sense?

When it helps you offer more variety. The AAP lists real benefits of making baby food at home: it can be cost-effective, avoids potential contaminants from processing or packaging, and lets you choose the ingredients [3]. It also says variety is just as important at home as when buying prepared foods [3].

Store-bought jars and pouches are not a mistake either. HBBF found that baby-food brand fruits and meats were among the lowest-metal choices [2], and FDA's lead action levels give packaged baby food a benchmark that home cooking does not have [4]. Many families mix both.

FAQ

Is organic homemade baby food lower in heavy metals?

Not necessarily. The AAP says organic foods often contain similar levels of heavy metals as non-organic foods, because metals come from soil and processing [3]. See our post on organic baby food and heavy metals.

Which vegetables should I rotate most?

Carrots, sweet potatoes, potatoes, and other root vegetables. HBBF advises serving each less than daily and varying where you buy them [2].

Should I stop giving my baby rice?

You do not need to cut it entirely. FDA says rice can be part of a balanced diet, and suggests cooking it in excess water and offering other grains [7].

Should my baby be tested for heavy metals?

The AAP says there is no need to test children for metals from baby food, and hair tests are not recommended [3]. Ask your pediatrician if you are worried.

Are baby-food brands required to test for heavy metals?

FDA's lead action levels give packaged baby food a benchmark [4]. California's AB 899 also requires baby-food makers selling there to test and disclose, which we explain in AB 899: public results vs lot codes.

References

1. Healthy Babies Bright Futures, Report: Is Homemade Baby Food Better? (2022).
2. Healthy Babies Bright Futures, Is Homemade Baby Food Better? Full report (PDF).
3. American Academy of Pediatrics, HealthyChildren.org, Heavy Metals in Baby Food: Reducing Risk of Exposure (updated September 26, 2025).
4. U.S. FDA, Guidance for Industry: Action Levels for Lead in Processed Food Intended for Babies and Young Children.
5. U.S. FDA, FDA Issues Final Guidance for Industry on Action Level for Inorganic Arsenic in Infant Rice Cereals.
6. U.S. FDA, Closer to Zero: Reducing Childhood Exposure to Contaminants from Foods.
7. U.S. FDA, What You Can Do to Limit Exposure to Arsenic.