US infant formula supply is ‘safe,’ FDA says after looking for potential contaminants

A new analysis of chemicals in U.S. infant formula has found reassuringly low levels of heavy metals, pesticides and other potential contaminants, federal health officials announced Wednesday.

The review was conducted as part of the Food and Drug Administration’s Operation Stork Speed ​​project, billed as the “largest and most rigorous” to date. The infant formula supply has been found to be “safe,” agency officials and outside experts said.

“There’s no reason not to use a formula that’s available” in the United States, said Dr. Steven Abrams, a professor of pediatrics at the University of Texas at Austin, who reviewed the results.

FDA officials tested more than 300 samples of commercial infant formula between 2023 and 2025 for the presence of heavy metals, including lead, arsenic, cadmium and mercury. They also tested for pesticides, chemicals found in plastics called phthalates, and PFAS, also known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, sometimes called “forever chemicals.”

Levels of all contaminants were undetectable or very low, the agency reported. The heavy metals detected were well below the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s limits for drinking water, the agency reported. No pesticides were detected in 99% of samples. The FDA found no detections for 25 of the 30 PFAS compounds tested.

Outside experts generally agreed with the government’s assessment, pointing out that small amounts of substances such as heavy metals occur naturally in the environment. But others, like phthalates and PFAS, are not.

“These chemicals are completely synthetic,” said Dr. Sheela Sathyanarayana, a professor of pediatrics at UW Medicine and the Seattle Children’s Research Institute. “The detection of some of these compounds is concerning.”

That underscores the need for more oversight of infant formula — and the U.S.’s larger food supply, she added.

The Trump administration launched Operation Stork Speed ​​in March 2025, promising to overhaul the safety and quality standards of infant formula in the United States for the first time in decades.

It builds on previous FDA efforts to examine substances such as heavy metals in infant foods, which can cause problems with brain development, learning and behavior in children, Abrams said.

To date, the FDA has not set enforceable limits for heavy metals in infant formula, unlike the European Union, Canada and Australia.

Some consumer advocacy groups have been calling on the FDA for years to set firm limits on contaminants. Last year, Consumer Reports released an analysis of 41 U.S. infant formulas with findings suggesting many had concerning levels of heavy metals and other contaminants.

However, this analysis used its own level of concern, placing it well below European Union standards. This report gained widespread public attention and prompted some parents to stop using commercial formula, even when necessary, Abrams noted.

Abrams called on the FDA to continue monitoring infant formula for contaminants and share the results.

Abbott, one of the nation’s largest infant formula makers, has urged the FDA to set science-based standards for contaminants in infant formula.

“We believe the large-scale production of infant formula in the United States is a matter of national security,” Abbott spokesman John Koval said in an email. “These results confirm the security of our current national supply. »

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