A Critical Update on Our Testing of Children’s Toothpaste
Recently, at the request of a concerned family whose child tested positive for elevated Lead levels, we conducted independent laboratory testing on this specific toothpaste. Our findings confirmed that this product contains detectable amounts of Lead, which is deeply disappointing—though not entirely unexpected—given our extensive testing history. To date, every tested toothpaste, especially those marketed toward children, has shown positive results for Lead contamination. This particular product is especially troubling because it is explicitly marketed for young children and has also tested positive for Mercury. The detailed lab report for this product is provided at the bottom of this page for your review.
Alongside this, we’ve prepared two shareable social media graphics: one displaying the test results for this specific product, and another offering a comparative overview of all the products we’ve analyzed so far. Your awareness and action are vital—thank you for engaging with this information.
- To access all our detailed lab reports on foods, supplements, and cosmetic items tested, please click here.
Access the Full Lab Report at the End of This Article
When considering safer food and supplement options, we recommend consulting our curated lists available on our dedicated food and supplement testing landing page. These resources are designed to help you make informed, health-conscious choices for your family. We even have a specific list focused on safer snack options, which you can explore here. Additionally, our most recent updated list features 49 lab-tested products deemed safer for consumption—visit it to see which items meet stringent safety criteria.
If you’d like to support our independent, community-funded laboratory testing initiatives, please consider contributing via our GoFundMe campaigns. Your support helps us continue this vital work.
Introduction for New Visitors to Lead Safe Mama
Tamara Rubin is a renowned advocate dedicated to the prevention of childhood Lead poisoning and consumer goods safety. She is also an accomplished documentary filmmaker. As a mother whose own children suffered from Lead poisoning (two of her four sons were acutely affected in 2005), her mission is driven by personal experience and a deep commitment to public health.
- Tamara owns and operates Lead Safe Mama, LLC—a unique, community-collaborative, woman-owned small business focused on reducing childhood Lead exposure and ensuring consumer product safety.
- Since July 2022, Lead Safe Mama, LLC has been responsible for facilitating six product recalls (by FDA and CPSC agencies).
- All test results on this website are rooted in rigorous scientific methodology, ensuring accuracy and reproducibility.
- Visit our press page to see media coverage highlighting our impactful work, here.
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Support for our work—covering the costs of independent testing and advocacy—is made possible through affiliate links and donations. To sustain and expand our efforts, consider shopping through our affiliate links or making a contribution here. Your support helps us keep our content free of advertising clutter.
Understanding Action Levels: What Does It Mean?
It’s essential to grasp the concept of ‘Action Levels’ in heavy metals testing. The original lab report for this product is provided below for reference. Our visual analysis compares detected metal levels (shown in red) against the low detection thresholds (orange) and scientific action levels (green) proposed by health authorities in 2021 as part of the Baby Food Safety Act.
- These 2021 proposed ‘Action Levels’ are scientifically designed to protect human health.
- An ‘Action Level’ differs from a ‘Maximum Allowable Level’ or a ‘Recommended Daily Intake.’ If a product exceeds these levels, it is deemed unsafe for consumption, especially by children.
- Many manufacturers misinterpret existing guidelines, claiming their products are safe because they test below regulated maximums, ignoring the fact that no level of Lead is truly safe.
- Heavy metals like Lead tend to accumulate in the body over time, making even incidental exposures dangerous in the long term. For more, see our detailed explanation here.
- Once a product’s metal content reaches or exceeds the ‘Action Level,’ it is considered unsafe for children by scientific consensus, as toxicants at or above these levels can cause lasting harm.
- Action Levels serve as a health-protective metric that is independent of serving size, unlike guidelines like Prop 65 limits.
- Serving size-based limits are often misleading because actual consumption may exceed these arbitrary quantities, especially in children.
- PPB (parts per billion) measurements are relevant regardless of serving size, providing a universal standard for safety evaluation across all food and supplement types.
- Applying consistent ppb-based evaluations helps eliminate confusion over safety and aligns standards with scientific understanding that no safe level of Lead exists.
- The proposed Action Levels from 2021 are intended to prompt industry action—such as reformulation, recalls, or public disclosures—to protect health.
- Despite legislative setbacks, these levels remain relevant and achievable for industry, as demonstrated by products tested to be ‘non-detect’ for heavy metals.
Myth Busting: ‘Simply Not Achievable’ Is Incorrect
Many in the packaged food industry claim that meeting these proposed safety standards is unfeasible. This is a misconception. Numerous products we have tested are entirely free of detectable Lead and other heavy metals, often below the detection limit of 1.5 ppb. This demonstrates that safer manufacturing practices are not only possible but achievable. The list below is continually growing, showcasing a range of foods and supplements that meet or surpass safety benchmarks.
Our independent testing, conducted by Lead Safe Mama, LLC—an Oregon-based, community-supported business—provides transparent evidence that such levels are attainable. For each product listed, you can view the detailed lab report by typing the brand name into our website’s search bar and scrolling to the bottom of the relevant article.
Updated List of 49 Safer Products (Published January 26, 2025):
- Baby Food – 1: Little Spoon Kale, Carrot + Pear BabyBlends
- Baby Food – 2: Little Spoon Butternut Squash + Blueberry BabyBlends
- Baby Food – 3: Little Spoon Sweet Potato BabyBlends
- Baby Food – 4: Little Spoon Sweet Potato + Carrot BabyBlends
- Baby Food – 5: Little Spoon Banana + Pitaya BabyBlends
- Beverage – 1: Honest Kids Organic Appley Ever After Apple Juice Drink: Amazon Link
- Beverage – 2: Olipop Grape Tonic: Amazon Link
- Breakfast Item – 1: Nature’s Path Envirokidz Organic Panda Puffs: Amazon Link
- Breakfast Item – 2: One Degree Organic, Gluten-Free, Sprouted Rolled Oats (Canada): Amazon Link
- Candy – 1: Lindt White Chocolate Bar (Made in New Hampshire, USA): Amazon Link
- Candy – 2: Cavendish & Harvey Wild Berry Drops, non-organic (Germany): Amazon Link
- Coffee & Tea – 1: Chameleon Handcrafted Organic Cold Brew Concentrate: Amazon Link
- Coffee & Tea – 2: Tao of Tea Organic Genmaicha (Japan): Amazon Link
- Coffee & Tea – 3: Califia Farms Almond Latte Cold Brew (XX Espresso): Amazon Link
- Coffee & Tea – 4: Death Wish Organic Espresso Roast Ground Coffee: Amazon Link
- Coffee Creamer – Plant-Based – 1: Laird Superfood Coconut Creamer: Amazon Link
- Coffee Creamer – Dairy – 2: Organic Valley Grassmilk Half and Half: Amazon Link
- Dairy & Cheese: Babybel Mini Original Snack Cheese: Amazon Link
- Fruit Snack – 1: GoGo Squeez Organic Apple Sauce Pouch: Amazon Link
- Fruit Snack – 2: Kirkland Organic Apple Sauce Pouch: Amazon Link
- Fruit Snack – 3: Pure Organic Layered Fruit Bars (Strawberry Banana): Amazon Link
- Fruit Snack – 4: Once Upon A Farm Dairy-Free Strawberry Banana Swirl Fruit Smoothie: Amazon Link
- Fruit Snack – 5: Pure Organic Layered Fruit Bars (Raspberry Lemonade): Amazon Link
- Infant Formula – 1: Bobbie Organic Gentle Infant Formula with Iron: Amazon Link
- Infant Formula – 2: Bobbie Organic Infant Formula with Iron: Amazon Link
- Infant Formula – 3: Bobbie Grass-Fed Milk-Based Powder with Iron: Amazon Link
- Infant Formula – 4: ByHeart Infant Formula (USA-made): Amazon Link
- Infant Formula – 5: HiPP Bio Combiotik Infant Formula Stage 1: here
- Infant Formula – 6: HiPP HA Stage PRE (0+ months): here
- Infant Formula – 7: Holle Bio Goat Stage 2 Infant Formula (European, organic): Amazon Link
- Infant Formula – 8: Kendamil Goat Infant Formula (not organic): available at Target
- Infant Formula – 9: Kendamil Organic Follow-On Milk (European, Cow Milk): not available on Amazon
- Infant Formula – 10: Kendamil Whole Milk Infant Formula (from Europe): available at Target
- Infant Formula – 11: Kendamil Organic Infant Formula: available at Target
- Ingredient – 1 (Salt): Jacobsen’s Sea Salt (Oregon, USA): Amazon Link
- Ingredient – 2 (Flour): Jovial Organic Einkorn Flour (Italy): Amazon Link
- Ingredient – 3 (Seeds): Costco Kirkland Organic Hemp Seeds: Amazon Link
- Ingredient – 4 (Seeds): Navitas Organic Gluten-Free Chia Seeds (Mexico): Amazon Link
- Ingredient – 5 (Beans): Jovial Organic Chickpeas (Italy): Amazon Link
- Oil – 1: Chosen Foods 100% Avocado Oil (not organic): Amazon Link
- Oil – 2: Dr. Adorable’s Organic Perilla Seed Oil (Korea): Amazon Link
- Oil – 3: Dr. Bronner’s Regenerative Organic Coconut Oil: Amazon Link
- Plant-Based Milk – 1: Kiki Milk Organic Plant-Based Milk (original flavor): Amazon Link
- Plant-Based Milk – 2: West Soy Unflavored Unsweetened Organic Soy Milk: Amazon Link
- Supplement – 1: Baby Ddrops Organic Vitamin D3 for Babies: Amazon Link
- Supplement – 2: Doctor’s Best Vitamin C with Q-C: Amazon Link
- Supplement – 3: Nordic Naturals Omega-3 Fish Oil: Amazon Link
- Supplement – 4: Mary Ruth’s Organic Toddler Multivitamin Liquid Drops with Iron: Amazon Link
- Supplement – 5: Pendulum Metabolic Daily Dietary Supplement: Amazon Link
For full details and additional test reports, visit this page. Our ongoing research continues to demonstrate that safer, lower-contaminant food and supplement options are accessible and achievable.
Additional Notes on Arsenic and Trace Contaminants
Beyond heavy metals like Lead, Cadmium, Mercury, and Arsenic, we’ve also identified several products that contain trace amounts of Arsenic—levels considered safe by current standards. These include:
- Kendamil Goat Toddler Milk: Non-organic, positive for trace Arsenic, available through European infant formula suppliers or Target.
- That’s It Apple Cherry Bars: Not organic, with trace Arsenic detected: Amazon Link.
- Chosen Foods Avocado Oil: Organic, with trace Arsenic: Amazon Link.
- Now Sunflower Lecithin: Non-organic, containing trace Arsenic: Amazon Link.
- WishGarden Immune Support: Seasonal Rescue for Pregnancy with trace Arsenic: Amazon Link.
Note: Amazon affiliate links are used; your purchases through these links support our ongoing testing efforts without additional cost to you.
Final Thoughts and Scientific Consensus
It’s crucial to recognize that current safety thresholds for toxicant levels in foods and supplements, especially for adults, are insufficiently protective. The scientific community agrees that any detectable Lead exposure is potentially harmful, particularly for children. Therefore, applying the strictest standards—such as those proposed by the Baby Food Safety Act of 2021—is essential for safeguarding public health across all age groups. Remember, children do not distinguish between products marketed for them and those intended for adults—they eat what we eat, emphasizing the importance of strict safety standards for all foods and supplements.
To further support our mission, consider purchasing a testing kit through our affiliate links, which are similar to the tools we utilize for our rigorous laboratory analysis. For more articles and updates on our testing initiatives, please visit our main page or click the pink button below. Your support is invaluable in our efforts to ensure safer consumer products for everyone.
Laboratory Testing Results for the Featured Product
Below is the detailed lab report for the product featured at the beginning of this article, providing transparency and scientific validation of our findings.