The testing was part of Operation Stork Speed, launched in March 2025 by the Trump administration, according to The Independent. However, according to The Independent, the FDA currently has no enforceable limits for heavy metals in infant formula, unlike the EU, Canada, and Australia. Dr. Steven Abrams, a pediatrics professor at the University of Texas at Austin, said: There’s no reason not to use any available formula in the U.S.
A separate analysis by Consumer Reports in 2024 suggested worrisome levels of heavy metals and contaminants in 41 U.S. infant formulas. The Independent reported that Consumer Reports used its own level of concern set far below EU standards. The report prompted some parents to stop using commercial formula, according to Dr. Steven Abrams. Dr. Sheela Sathyanarayana, a pediatrics professor at UW Medicine and Seattle Children’s Research Institute, said: These chemicals are completely synthetic. The detection of some of these compounds at all is concerning.