• Posted March 20, 2025

FDA Increases Testing For Heavy Metals In Baby Formula

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is stepping up testing for heavy metals in infant formula and reviewing key nutrients required in these products, federal health officials said.

"The FDA will use all resources and authorities at its disposal to make sure infant formula products are safe and wholesome for the families and children who rely on them," Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said in a statement.

Kennedy recently met with top executives from formula makers, including Abbott Laboratories, which produces Similac, and Reckitt Benckiser, the company behind Enfamil, according to a social media post from HHS.

The FDA will also conduct a comprehensive review of infant formula nutrients while ramping up testing for heavy metals and other contaminants, CBS News reported. The actions are being dubbed Operation Stork Speed.

"The FDA is deeply committed to ensuring that moms and other caregivers of infants and young children and other individuals who rely on infant formula for their nutritional needs have confidence that these products are safe, consistently available, and contain the nutrients essential to promote health and wellbeing during critical stages of development and life," Acting FDA Commissioner Dr. Sara Brenner said in a statement. 

The action dovetails with findings of a Consumer Reports investigation released Tuesday, which found potentially harmful chemicals -- including acrylamide, arsenic, BPA, lead, and PFAS -- in nearly half of the 41 infant formula products tested. 

Some products had low or no levels detected.

"We look forward to seeing the details of how they intend to implement the plan, and we hope the FDA is providing adequate resources and staffing to actually follow through with these promises," Brian Ronholm, director of food policy at Consumer Reports, said in a statement.

Concerns about infant formula safety have been heightened since 2022, when FDA inspections found bacteria linked to two infant deaths at Abbott's Sturgis, Mich., plant.

The plant's temporary closure led to a nationwide formula shortage, causing stress for millions of families who depend on formula to feed their babies.

Roughly 1 in 5 newborns in the U.S. start on formula, making it a crucial source of nutrition in the first months of life.

More information

The Cleveland Clinic has more on heavy metal poisoning (toxicity).

SOURCE: CBS News, March 19, 2025