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Quality & Safety FAQs

An Important Message for Parents About the Safety of Baby Food

About the Author
by Gerber Baby Experts

2 min read

March 6, 2021

At Gerber, our top priority is baby’s health and well-being. In 2021, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced actions to further minimize heavy metals in baby foods—through its Closer to Zero Action Plan. The agency included guidance to reassure parents about baby foods.

Specifically, the FDA recommends:

  • Parents and caregivers speak with their child’s pediatrician about a diet that includes a variety of age-appropriate, healthy foods in order to get needed nutrients.
  • For proper growth and development, parents and caregivers should ensure they are feeding iron-fortified grain cereals or other iron-containing foods to babies over six months of age.
  • Making baby food at home does not reduce potential exposure to metals. In fact, homemade baby food could result in possible increased exposure to metals, since parents at home can’t implement the high level of safety standards that reduce the presence of heavy metals.

Heavy metals are naturally found in the environment, including the soil and water in which crops are grown. Gerber farmers take many steps to minimize their presence, including:

  • Prioritizing growing locations based on optimal climate and soil composition.
  • Approving fields before crops are planted based on soil testing.
  • Rotating crops according to best available science.
  • Testing produce, water, ingredients and our foods throughout the process to ensure we are delivering on our promise to deliver high-quality and safe baby food.

The safety and quality standards we have set for our baby foods are industry-leading and among the strictest in the world. The FDA has reinforced the use of food safety best practices and tools that we have long followed at Gerber. As parents, you can trust that if foods or ingredients don’t meet our standards for safety, we don’t use them.

Gerber will continue taking a leading role working with the FDA and other stakeholders to support the Closer to Zero action plan and to further efforts to lower heavy metals in foods. Parents can find the FDA's guidance here or reach out to our MyGerberBaby Experts, available 24/7 at 1-800-4-GERBER.

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