Heavy metals in food databaseFoods for infantsChecked 2026.10.03
Baby food: lead, arsenic, cadmium
In a MAFF survey (fiscal 2023, 180 infant and toddler foods made and sold in Japan), lead was below the limit of quantification in 151 samples. Arsenic and cadmium were higher in “dry-type” products such as dried noodles, cereals, and powdered soups. MAFF says that “the need for risk management measures is low,” but this survey does not judge whether products meet standards.
Levels measured in Japanese government surveys and studies
| Metal | Form / state | Mean | Range / max | Samples | Survey |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lead | Total lead, dry type (dried noodles, cereals, powdered soups, furikake, freeze-dried foods, etc.) | 0.005–0.010 | max 0.054 | 30 samples (25 below the limit of quantification) | MAFF, fiscal 2023 |
| Lead | Total lead, wet type (retort pouches, jars, bento, frozen foods, etc.) | 0.000–0.006 | max 0.009 | 59 samples (57 below the limit of quantification) | MAFF, fiscal 2023 |
| Lead | Total lead, snacks for infants and toddlers | 0.005–0.008 | max 0.044 | 31 samples (19 below the limit of quantification) | MAFF, fiscal 2023 |
| Arsenic | Inorganic arsenic, dry type | 0.043–0.047 | max 0.80 | 30 samples (18 below the limit of quantification) | MAFF, fiscal 2023 |
| Arsenic | Inorganic arsenic, wet type | 0.006–0.013 | max 0.17 | 59 samples (56 below the limit of quantification) | MAFF, fiscal 2023 |
| Arsenic | Inorganic arsenic, snacks for infants and toddlers | 0.022–0.027 | max 0.095 | 31 samples (19 below the limit of quantification) | MAFF, fiscal 2023 |
| Arsenic | Total arsenic, dry type | 0.65 (median 0.021) | max 8.6 | 30 samples (14 below the limit of quantification) | MAFF, fiscal 2023 |
| Arsenic | Total arsenic, wet type | 0.043–0.047 (median 0.021) | max 0.44 | 59 samples (22 below the limit of quantification) | MAFF, fiscal 2023 |
| Cadmium | Total cadmium, dry type | 0.051–0.052 (median 0.031) | max 0.40 | 30 samples (6 below the limit of quantification) | MAFF, fiscal 2023 |
| Cadmium | Total cadmium, wet type | 0.003–0.008 | max 0.048 | 59 samples (45 below the limit of quantification) | MAFF, fiscal 2023 |
| Cadmium | Total cadmium, snacks for infants and toddlers | 0.029–0.031 (median 0.018) | max 0.11 | 31 samples (6 below the limit of quantification) | MAFF, fiscal 2023 |
Units are mg/kg (= ppm). Averages are given as a range, “the value with samples below the limit of quantification counted as 0 to the value with them counted at the limit of quantification” (MAFF’s way of writing it). The limit of quantification differs for solids and liquids. This survey does not judge compliance with the Food Sanitation Act’s standards and specifications, and its analytical method also differs from the statutory method. Which product had the maximum (for example, whether it contained hijiki) cannot be told from the published material. Total mercury was below the limit of quantification in almost all samples, and the maximum for dry type was 0.012.
How much to eat (official advice)
- UK FSA: advises not giving rice drinks to children under 5 in place of breast milk, formula, or cow’s milk (published 2018)
Limits (Japan, international, EU)
| Set by | Limit | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Japan (Food Sanitation Act) | No standard for lead, arsenic, or cadmium in baby food | MAFF’s survey results cannot be used to judge compliance with standards and specifications |
| Codex (international standards) | Lead, baby food and processed cereal-based foods for infants and young children 0.02 | — |
| EU (Regulation 2023/915) | Lead 0.020 / inorganic arsenic, baby food 0.020, rice for infants and young children 0.10 / cadmium, infant foods 0.040 | These cannot be compared directly with Japan’s survey values, because the analytical methods, food categories, and purpose of the survey differ |
| US (FDA) | Lead action levels: fruits, vegetables, mixed foods, yogurt, etc. 10 ppb; single-ingredient root vegetables 20 ppb; dry infant cereals 20 ppb (January 2025) / inorganic arsenic in infant rice cereal 100 μg/kg (2020) | Non-binding guidance. It covers packaged processed foods for children under 2 and does not include infant formula, beverages, or juice |
Good to know
- MAFF judged that the occasions on which infant and toddler foods are eaten are limited to one period of life and that the concentrations of lead and other metals in them are low enough, so “the need to take risk management measures is low.” At the same time, it says that it is important to keep lead and other metals as low as possible and that it will continue to provide information to manufacturers.
- There are differences by type of food. Arsenic and cadmium are higher in dry-type products (dried noodles, cereals, powdered soups, furikake, etc.), with a maximum of 8.6 for total arsenic, 0.80 for inorganic arsenic, and 0.40 mg/kg for cadmium. For wet-type products (retort pouches and jars), the maximums were only 0.009 for lead, 0.17 for inorganic arsenic, and 0.048 for cadmium.
- Placing Japan’s values next to the US lead action levels (10–20 ppb), the wet-type maximum of 0.009 mg/kg is 9 ppb and the dry-type maximum of 0.054 mg/kg is 54 ppb. However, because the food categories and the purpose of the survey differ, it cannot be said that they “meet” or “exceed” a standard.
- There is no tolerable intake for lead. JECFA withdrew its former tolerable intake in 2010, and Japan’s FSCJ also did not set one in 2021 because “a blood lead level without adverse effects cannot be derived.” In the total diet study (2024), lead for young children (ages 1–6) averaged 0.18 μg/kg/day (95th percentile 0.35), which is below the reference point EFSA used for developmental neurotoxicity (0.50). The same report writes that EFSA has made an assessment to the effect that “there is almost no risk even if the ratio of the reference point to intake (MOE) is 1.”
- For infant foods made from rice, Japanese public surveys do not give values for the rice ingredient alone. The EU has a limit of 0.10 for rice for infants and young children. For the story of arsenic in rice, see arsenic and cadmium in brown and white rice.
- What was surveyed are foods made in Japan by Japanese businesses and sold as being for infants and toddlers. Imported products, and values when ordinary foods are used as baby food, are outside the scope of this survey.
Related explainers
- Heavy Metals in Baby Food, Infant Food, and Powdered Formula: MAFF’s Survey and Standards Abroad
- Arsenic and Cadmium in Brown and White Rice: Is Eating It Every Day OK? Measurements of Japanese Rice and How to Reduce Them
- Lead: Tap Water, Tableware, Cans, and Spices. Where Should You Be Careful? Lead in Food, and Entry Points Other Than Food
- Why Do Heavy Metal Standards Differ Between Japan and Other Countries? Japanese, Codex, and EU Standards and Tolerable Intakes Compared
Pages for each metal
Sources
- MAFF, “Results of the fiscal 2023 survey of lead and other contents in foods for infants and toddlers” (published December 2024)
- MHLW research grant, Total Diet Study, fiscal 2024, sub-study report
- EU Regulation 2023/915 (maximum levels for contaminants in food)
- US FDA, “Action levels for lead in processed food intended for babies and young children (final guidance)” (January 2025)
- US FDA, “Action level for inorganic arsenic in infant rice cereals” (2020)
- FSCJ, “Information on the lead assessment report” (June 2021)
- EFSA, “Lead in food,” scientific opinion (2010)
Last checked 2026.10.03 (against the original government documents and papers, collected and cross-checked in Gemini Notebook).
Heavy metals occur naturally in soil and the sea, and every food contains small amounts. This page lists facts from government surveys, limits and assessments and from published papers; it does not judge any food as good or bad. Where there is official advice — such as on eating fish during pregnancy — follow it.