An Update On Heavy Metals in Infant Formula

As parents ourselves, we know that any mention of things like heavy metals and chemicals can feel unsettling. We also believe it is incredibly important that our industry is having these conversations around testing and standards. Here’s what to know:

What the experts say: Heavy metals, such as lead, are naturally occurring in our environment including in soil, drinking water, food, breast milk and infant formulas. It’s helpful to remember that the trace levels in all infant formulas are significantly less than what’s found in organic foods we eat such as strawberries, grains or fish. 

The good news: We have established guidelines—California’s Prop 65 Maximum Allowable Dose Levels (MADL) has set the strictest levels for safety. ByHeart is proud to exceed California Prop 65 and all international guidelines including European Union (EU) Food Safety Regulations and CODEX Alimentarius. 

What does this mean for ByHeart: Our unique formulation includes rich levels of essential minerals to support your baby’s development. While minerals are key to things like bone development and brain health, they are derived from the earth, where heavy metals naturally exist.

Our testing: Over 1000+ tests are conducted on our ingredients and throughout our process to validate the levels of the good stuff, like proteins, carbs and essential nutrients, as well as the unwanted stuff including heavy metals, contaminants, and bacteria. We do all of this to deliver a formula that parents can feel truly confident in.  

Where to go from here: ByHeart is not only safe but delivers whole nutrition and clinically proven benefits for your baby. Always wash your hands and your bottle thoroughly to remove dirt that may carry heavy metals, and continue to follow your pediatrician’s recommendations for healthy growth and development of your baby.

A Few FAQs…

Is ByHeart formula safe for my baby?

Yes. ByHeart is and has always been safe for your baby. While any mention of heavy metals feels worrisome, ByHeart is below the limits established by California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment’s Prop 65—the most protective standard. The trace levels in infant formulas are significantly less than what’s found in organic foods we eat such as strawberries, grains or fish.

What is Clean Label Project Certification and how did you get it?

Clean Label Project is a non-profit organization that aims to bring transparency by independently testing for a wide range of contaminants and chemicals of concern, such as heavy metals, pesticide residues, plasticizers, and other toxins. They award superiority certifications to organizations that are aligned to their benchmarks.

ByHeart is the first infant formula manufacturer to be certified through the Clean Label Project with 3 prestigious accreditations: their highest tier Purity Award, which evaluates consumer products for industrial and environmental contaminants and is a result of meeting strict testing standards; the Pesticide Free Award which ensures products are free from a broad range of pesticides and agricultural chemicals; and the First 1,000 Days Promise which is based on European standards and is focused on ensuring the safety of prenatal and baby products. In addition to ByHeart’s own testing, Clean Label Project tests for approximately 400 contaminants including industrial and environmental toxins, arsenic, cadmium, mercury, lead, glyphosate, BPA, antibiotics, BPS, mycotoxin and pesticide residues, acrylamide, and melamine.

What standards do you set for heavy metals?

In the absence of federal standards in the US, we set our own stringent standards for ByHeart. First, we studied all the highest global standards and committed to exceed the strictest of regulations and guidelines. This includes California Prop 65, European Union (EU) Food Safety Regulations and CODEX Alimentarius. At the same time, we proactively sought out an accredited third party to externally test our products for more than 400 contaminants. 

Here’s a bit more about these guidelines, regulations and certifications: 

• California Prop 65: Officially known as the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986 and requires businesses to provide warnings about significant exposures.

• European Union (EU) Food Safety Regulations: Sets maximum levels for contaminants such as lead, cadmium, mercury, and arsenic in various food products.

• CODEX Alimentarius: Is a collection of internationally recognized standards, guidelines, and codes of practice related to food safety and quality developed by a joint initiative of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO).

• The Purity Award: Clean Label Project’s highest tier which evaluates consumer products for industrial and environmental contaminants and is a result of meeting strict testing standards.

• The Pesticide Free Award: Ensures products are free from a broad range of pesticides and agricultural chemicals.

• The First 1,000 Days Promise: Based on European standards and is focused on ensuring the safety and purity of prenatal and baby products.

What does ByHeart test for?

Before our formula gets to you, over a 1000+ tests are conducted on our ingredients and throughout our process to validate the levels of the good stuff, like proteins, carbs and essential nutrients, as well as the unwanted stuff including heavy metals, contaminants, and bacteria. In addition to ByHeart’s own testing, Clean Label Project tests for approximately 400 contaminants including industrial and environmental toxins, arsenic, cadmium, mercury, lead, glyphosate, BPA, antibiotic, BPS, mycotoxin and pesticide residues, acrylamide, and melamine.

What is ByHeart’s quality program?

At ByHeart, we obsess over every ingredient, every can, and every step of our process—starting with our rigorous Supplier Approval Program. On average, it takes an ingredient provider nine months to pass our extensive review, testing, and auditing before becoming an approved supplier. But our commitment doesn’t stop there. We cultivate strong partnerships with our suppliers to continually raise quality standards and uphold our shared dedication to clean sourcing. Then, we conduct over a thousand tests on our ingredients and throughout our production process to ensure they meet our uncompromising quality and safety standards. Anything that falls short is discarded—all of this to deliver a formula that parents can feel truly confident in.

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