Extremely High Amounts of Lead Found in Canadian and USA Baby Food

Lesser Evil Lil’ Puffs (Intergalactic Voyager Veggie Blend and Sweet Potato Apple Asteroid) have among the most lead of any baby food ever tested by Consumer Reports, while sorghum-based snacks from Once Upon a Farm have among the least.

Lesser Evil announced on June 13, 2024, that it would phase out the use of cassava flour in its Lil’ Puffs line of products, saying it was “dismayed by the recent news” that some of its products had concerning levels of lead.

Some studies have shown that cassava and other root vegetables—such as sweet potatoes, carrots, and beets—can have high lead levels. Angelia Seyfferth, PhD, in the department of plant and soil sciences at the University of Delaware, explains that lead, which can occur naturally in soil or end up there due to pollution, tends to accumulate in a plant’s root system. “Lead can’t move very well beyond the root itself, so it doesn’t get into the above-ground portion of the plant,” she says.

In many parts of the world, cassava—aka yuca and manioc—is a staple and eaten in many of the same ways as potatoes. Processing it into flour to bake it into crackers, chips, or snack foods can potentially concentrate the lead more than eating it fresh.

These products are not yet listed on Canadian Government Canada Health Recalls Safety Alerts website.

Thank-you to Consumer Reports  and Lead-Safe-Mama Tamara Rubin  for alerting US and Canadian families to this baby food recall.