a letter from Serenity

Thank you for reaching out to us regarding the recent article from Lead Safe Mama that mentioned the use of organic cassava flour in our Grain Free Puffs. As a mom who has fed these products to my five-year-old daughter since she was a baby, I share your deep concern about contamination in our food supply. In fact, this is a primary reason why I started Serenity Kids. I would like to provide some more information about this issue so you can make the best choices for your little one. 

Sadly, the reality is that heavy metals are prevalent in our food system. Some naturally occur, and some come from decades of pollution and chemical farming. But while most produce can be found to contain heavy metals, we test ours regularly and have suppliers who use soil remediation methods to find foods with the lowest achievable levels of contaminants and prioritize them for babies. We carefully vet all of our suppliers to ensure we are using the cleanest possible ingredients so that we can feel good about the safety of our foods.

The Lead Safe Mama article raised concerns about cassava, a root vegetable like sweet potatoes, carrots, and beets. Cassava contains many valuable nutrients, but like all vegetables grown in the ground, it is more susceptible to heavy metal contamination. The root vegetable ingredients that we source and use in our pouches and Grain Free Puffs are tested to maintain what we believe are the lowest achievable levels. In fact, most sweet potatoes purchased at a grocery store have higher levels of heavy metals than our products, including our Grain Free Puffs.

Our Grain Free Puffs, and all of our products, exceed the health and safety standards for heavy metals addressed by California’s Prop 65 law, which is among the strictest food safety and quality programs for babies worldwide. The lead limits referenced by Lead Safe Mama were those proposed in the the Baby Food Safety Act of 2021, which was not adopted because the FDA and scientific community determined them to be unachievable due to the prevalence of heavy metals in our food supply. The FDA has been working through its Closer to Zero action plan to assess the presence of lead and other heavy metals in foods intended for babies and young children and is working to set achievable action levels.

Parts per billion (ppb) is a measurement used to measure contaminants in food. One ppb is like one drop of water in a swimming pool. While I’d rather not feed any heavy metals to my daughter, it reassures me when I visualize that measurement. 

 I do want to personally commend Tamara Rubin, founder of Lead Safe Mama, for her tireless advocacy on behalf of children’s nutrition and health. While I think there is additional information needed to make a fully informed decision, I believe that my child and all children are better off as a result of her activism. Serenity Kids joins Tamara in advocating for stronger FDA food safety regulations for infants and toddlers.

We remain committed to making children healthier by offering high quality, nutrient-dense foods that are safe for consumption and help children grow happy, healthy, and strong.

Feel free to reach out to us with any more questions you have.

With Gratitude, 

Serenity Carr

Co-founder and CEO, Serenity Kids