What If I Told You Your Baby Formula Has Toxic Substances In It?

Why baby formula isn't all you thought it was.

This post was written and edited exclusively by Simply the Breast, without the use of AI.

When you have to give your baby formula because you are not making enough breastmilk (or if you chose to give formula and no breastmilk), you inherently TRUST the formula you have chosen. You believe you are doing the right thing for your baby, even if you believe breastmilk is better. But, what if it isn't?!

Please do not misunderstand me. By no means am I saying parents should never give their babies formula... formula, 100%, has its place and its purpose in feeding babies! It is not uncommon for IBCLCs (and Pediatricians!) to recommend supplementing with formula when moms simply have not been able to make enough milk for the baby's needs. Sometimes this does happen. In this case formula absolutely serves its rightful place when trusted donor breastmilk is unavailable or too difficult to obtain.

That being said, what actually is IN your baby formula?! Have you ever wondered if your baby formula is actually safe?

Testing of Baby Formula

The state of Florida has launched an initiative titled Healthy Florida First with its mission being to "improve the lives of Floridians by reducing chronic disease, strengthening nutrition programs, and empowering families with better choices," beginning by testing and revealing toxins in both baby formula and candy. This past month the state of Florida released it's findings from a convening of a committee to test 24 popular baby formulas for 4 of the most common heavy metals and also for pesticides. The results are....staggering!

I'm very sad to report that a whopping 16 out of 24 tested baby formulas had an unsafe level of at least 1 of the 4 heavy metals tested. The standards are set according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), what is the "maximum daily limit" allowed for each of the toxins tested. Below is a summary of what was identified.

Heavy Metals

Mercury - found in 16 out of 24 formulas

Arsenic - found in 4 out of 24 formulas

Cadmium - found in 3 out of 24 formulas

Lead - found in 2 out of 24 formulas

Pesticides were not found in any of the baby formulas tested. Which formulas were found to be completely safe? Just a few! Bobbie Organic Infant Formula, ByHeart Whole Nutrition Infant Formula, Holle Organic Infant Goat Milk Formula, stage 1, Holle Organic Infant Formula Stage 1, Kendamil Classic, Kendamil Goat Milk Based Formula, Similac Advanced Ready to Feed, and Similac Sensitive Ready to Feed.

The chart below is courtesy of the state of Florida and details the findings of the analysis so you can see how your formula stacks up. If you don't find your baby formula in the chart below, it means it wasn't tested. This doesn't mean your baby formula is in the clear per se, and it doesn't mean that it has unsafe levels of heavy metals or pesticides. It just wasn't one of the 24 formulas tested.

Is Baby Formula Still Safe?

I know you have to be asking what does all of this mean? Can my baby still have these formulas? Is it wise to do so? These are very important questions to ask.

Heavy metals are actually very concerning. As Dr. Ana Maria Mihalcea says, "toxic metals bioaccumulate in the body and cause synergistic toxicity." In other words, as we are exposed to toxic metals over time, it adds up in the body and they

come together creating a greater, or stronger, toxicity together.

Dr. Mihalcea notes that the half-life of lead is 30 years. 30 years! So the bioaccumulation is a very real problem.

The range of problems that these heavy metals can, individually cause, is vast and wide-ranging, including the following (Mihalcea, 2026).

• kidney damage - mercury, cadmium

• nervous system - mercury, lead

• immune system - mercury

• cognitive impairment - mercury

• respiratory problems - cadmium

• weakened bones - cadmium

• cancer - cadmium, arsenic

• skin lesions - arsenic

• cardiovascular issues - arsenic

Lead in particular causes brain and nervous system damage which may show up as behavioral problems or learning disabilities in children.

That is what makes the findings of this analysis of baby formulas so troubling is many of them have more than one heavy metal at levels higher than what has been deemed safe by the FDA and EPA. Keep in mind, too, that they add up over time in the body (bioaccumulate).

What To Do

Ultimately we may be making our babies very sick exposing them repeatedly to these heavy metals. Without testing your child to see what is in their body (via a urine test) how will we know? Clearly some families do need to give their baby formula instead of breastmilk or as a supplement.

My recommendation to you is that you choose one of the 6 products identified without heavy metals for your baby formula. However, if those formulas prove difficult to obtain, cost prohibitive, or your baby does not do well on them, then I would select a formula that has the least amount of heavy metals in it.

Do remember that these are just 24 baby formulas which were tested, every baby formula available for sale was not tested. These are the most commonly utilized. For those not tested, we just do not know their status. One could guess that formulas under brands that showed no toxic metals for multiple formulas tested, like Holle or Kendamil, that their products are likely safe, even if your specific product was not tested (like stage 2 for example). Though, clearly this is not a guarantee!

The bottom line is that, if formula is a part of your feeding plan, every family must choose for themselves what formula to give their baby. If you would like to avoid giving baby formula at all and you are struggling to make enough breastmilk, please seek help from an experienced International Board Certified Lactation Consultant! IBCLCs (Lactation Consultants) are trained to evaluate the source of low production of breastmilk and can help craft a plan to bring your supply up.

For those who are concerned about what their baby may already have been exposed to, you could seek out a doctor who will order a provoked urine test to identify what (if any) heavy metals have already accumulated in the body. Then pursue detoxing those heavy metals. You can look for a health care practitioner who is a Chelation Advanced Provider, Certified Chelation Therapy.

More Information & Help

If you would like to know more, check out Simply the Breast. Looking for specific support to increase your milk supply and eliminate supplementing? You can view the lactation and breastfeeding support Services I offer here.

Written by a human, for humans!

Credit: Thank you to the state of Florida for their testing of the baby formulas and for publishing the findings. Other scientific data provided herein is credited to Ana Maria Mihalcea, MD, PhD and her January 15, 2026 substack publication.