What this is
A side-by-side of 11 brands on what is on the label, what it costs, and what each brand shows about its testing. Each brand is represented by the product closest to a Stage 1 pear purée, so flavors differ.
Why there is no overall score
A score would blend facts that answer different questions. The one that matters most, how much lead or arsenic is in the product you hold, can only come from that lot’s test results. So we show facts and let you sort by what matters to you.
What it can’t tell you
How much of any metal is in a given package, how it tastes, whether your baby will accept it, or what your pediatrician would advise. This is general information, not medical advice.
Where each fact comes from
- Labels and ingredients: product labels as shown on brand pages and retailer listings, October 15 and 16, 2026.
- Prices: one retailer listing per brand on October 15, 2026. Prices vary by store, plan and pack size.
- Testing facts: each brand’s own standards pages and results lookups, read in October 2026, plus FDA and published records where noted. Every fact lists its sources and who published them.
- Recalls: FDA notices and press coverage of them.
How to read the testing facts
FoundNot found on the pages we reviewedNot yet verifiedRecall found
“Not found” means we did not find it on the pages listed under that fact’s basis, as of the date shown. It does not mean the brand never does it. “Not yet verified” means we have not confirmed it on a primary page or record, and we leave it out.
What we have not verified
27 of 77 facts are not yet verified. Most are for Parent’s Choice and Good & Gather, whose results pages open only through a QR code on the package, and for recall history, which we have not checked against FDA’s database for most brands. We found no contaminant measurements of our own to publish, so none appear here.
| Brand | Lot lookup | Lab limit | Own limits | Beyond law | Certification | Pesticides | Recall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beech-Nut | |||||||
| Cerebelly | |||||||
| Earth’s Best | |||||||
| Gerber | |||||||
| Good & Gather | |||||||
| Happy Baby | |||||||
| Little Spoon | |||||||
| Once Upon a Farm | |||||||
| Parent’s Choice | |||||||
| Plum Organics | |||||||
| Serenity Kids |
Terms
- California AB 899. Requires baby food sold in California, for children under 2 and not including infant formula, to be tested monthly for arsenic, cadmium, lead and mercury and the results published from January 1, 2025. Law-firm summary.
- Own limits versus benchmarks. A brand’s own limit is a number it sets. Many brands instead show FDA, EU or California benchmark tables, which we do not count as their own limits.
- Clean Label Project Purity Award. A certification for products in the top third of the products Clean Label Project tested in their category. It is a ranking, not a guarantee of zero. Awards can cover specific products, so check yours.
About this tool
Facts come from each brand’s public pages, product labels and public records. Pages change, and we may have missed something.