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Diving overview:
- A survey conducted by Consumer Reports found that Lesser Evil's Lil' Puffs, made with ingredients like beets, carrots, potatoes and tomatoes, contained “concerning” amounts of lead.
- The brand's Intergalactic Voyager Veggie Blend contains more lead per serving than any of 80 baby foods the research company has tested since 2017. A product from Serenity Kids, Tomato and Herb Grain-Free Puffs made with bone broth, was also discovered. Studies show it has high lead content.
- The study tested six children's snacks made from cassava or sorghum and used a percentage of California's maximum allowable dose level as the basis for lead testing. There are no federal standards for lead in most foods, but California's standards are the most protective, according to experts at Consumer Reports.
Dive Insights:
Lesser Evil and Serenity Kids responded to Consumer Reports, saying they regularly test their raw materials and final products for heavy metals and “support the safety of our products.”
james Rogers, Consumer Reports' director of food safety testing recommends that children consume no more than half a serving of Intergalactic Voyager Veggie Blend of Lesser Evil's Lil' Puffs per day.
For two other puffs with high lead content – Lesser Evil's Lil' Puffs Sweet Potato Apple Asteroid and Serenity Kids' Tomato & Herb, Bone Broth. Puff — Experts say limit your intake to no more than 1 ½ servings per day.
“All Lesser Evil products comply with current regulatory requirements,” a company spokesperson wrote to Food Dive in response to the report. “We are proud of our best-in-class products that meet GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe) standards and federal regulations for organic products. Food safety is our top priority and we conduct extensive testing on all Lesser Evil products to ensure compliance with California Proposition 65 and federal standards.”
Serentiy Kids did not respond to a request for comment in time for publication.
Lesser Evil said its Lil' Puffs product line is designed to get kids “excited” about healthy eating.
For example, Intergalactic products contain ingredients such as organic cassava flour, organic avocado oil, organic tapioca starch, and organic red and green vegetable blend.
Some research suggests that cassava and other root vegetables, such as sweet potatoes, carrots and beets, may be high in lead, Consumer Reports said.
In the report, Dr. Angelia Seyfferth from the University of Delaware's Department of Plant and Soil Sciences explains that lead, which can occur naturally in the soil or build up in the soil due to contamination, tends to accumulate in the root systems of plants.
“Lead doesn’t travel well beyond the roots themselves, so it doesn’t get into the above-ground parts of the plant,” she said.
“Because safe exposure levels to lead are not known, the FDA monitors and regulates lead exposure levels in foods.” In its statement on guidance on metals in foods, the FDA said:. “It is impossible to completely prevent lead from entering the food supply, but for foods that contain lead, it may be possible to reduce levels by changing agricultural or manufacturing practices.”
Jennie Shen, director of brand marketing for Serenity Kids, said in the report that while the company “always works with our suppliers to reduce the heavy metal content of our products,” “heavy metals are widespread in our food system.”
And Sami Rosnov, director of operations at Corner Market Communications, which represents Lesser Evil, says lead occurs in nature “due to years of pollution and contamination of water and soil,” according to a statement to Consumer Reports.
“The lead limit in baby foods is expected to be finalized this year and the lead limit in fruit juice is expected to be finalized in 2025, but the agency is still determining how to regulate heavy metals in snack foods,” the FDA said in a statement to Consumer Reports. .
