The FDA regulates most commercially produced pureed baby food, including:
- Fruits, vegetables, grains, and other non-meat ingredients.
- Packaging, labeling, and food safety requirements: The FDA ensures that baby food is properly labeled under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act) and meets safety standards for contaminants like heavy metals, pesticides, and toxins.
- Additives and preservatives used in baby food are also under FDA oversight, ensuring compliance with GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) standards.
- The FDA sets Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) for processing and packaging baby foods to prevent contamination and ensure proper hygiene.
USDA’s Role:
The USDA is primarily responsible for:
- Meat, poultry, and egg products: If the pureed baby food contains more than 2% meat or poultry (like chicken, beef, turkey, etc.) or any egg products, it falls under USDA jurisdiction.
- The USDA enforces strict standards for the inspection, safety, and proper handling of meat and poultry products through its Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS).
| FDA | USDA | Explanation | |
| If ingredients are Chicken+ potatoes , it means 50% chicken | It comes under the jurisdiction of USDA, as it regulated those products, more than 2% chicken under FSIS
Or If you are going to sale “Diet type”…then go for USDA organic & register & follow USDA and NOP laws |
Infants enrolled for care at a participating CACFP center or day care home must be offered a meal that complies with the CACFP infant meal pattern requirements (7 CFR 226.20(b)). An institution or facility must make reasonable modifications, including substitutions for meals and snacks, for infants with a disability and whose disability restricts their diet (7 CFR 226.20(g)(1) | |
| If ingredient are: Chicken, vegetable (potatoes, pea, carrot or any other), corn starch, rice flour, conolia oil/ | It comes under the jurisdiction of FDA, | It was just wondering that “Pureed bay Food” categorized as Medical food & follow the law by FDA & USDA as well
Example:
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| Approval Process | You should have to register with FDA as infant formula & follow the laws | You have to register with USDA as it its baby food meal & USDA regulated by legislation | |
| Labelling | FDA | ||
| Sampling (COA) |
FDA |
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| Lead, Arsenic, cadmium detection in infant formula /baby puree food
(10ppb limits) |
The Baby Food Safety Act of 2024 would allow the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to enforce scientifically-established limits on heavy metals in commercial infant and toddler food. | The Baby Food Safety Act of 2024 would: 1. Raise standards for baby foods to protect infants and toddlers from toxic heavy metals (i.e., lead, arsenic, cadmium, and mercury) and other potential contaminants and mandates that baby food have no more than the maximum allowable limits for toxic heavy metals, including lead, arsenic, cadmium, and mercury, as determined by FDA.2. Set standards for sampling and testing of commercial food products for contaminants, including toxic heavy metals in baby food. 3. Strengthen the FDA’s ability to enforce higher safety standards for commercial baby food as well as imported food products. |
Brands with Meat-Based Pureed Baby Foods:
- Gerber:
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- Gerber 2nd Foods Chicken & Gravy: Pureed chicken with more than 2% meat content.
- Gerber 2nd Foods Turkey & Gravy: Pureed turkey with more than 2% meat.
- Gerber 2nd Foods Beef & Gravy: Pureed beef with more than 2% meat.
- Beech-Nut:
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- Beech-Nut Stage 1 Chicken & Chicken Broth: Chicken is the primary ingredient, containing more than 2% meat.
- Beech-Nut Stage 1 Turkey & Turkey Broth: Turkey with more than 2% meat content.
- Beech-Nut Stage 2 Beef & Beef Broth: Contains more than 2% beef.
- Earth’s Best Organic:
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- Earth’s Best Organic Chicken & Brown Rice: Contains organic chicken as a primary ingredient.
- Earth’s Best Organic Turkey & Whole Grain Rice: Pureed turkey with more than 2% meat.
- Earth’s Best Organic Beef & Vegetable: Includes beef with more than 2% content.
- Happy Baby (by Happy Family Organics):
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- Happy Baby Organic Stage 2 Turkey with Vegetables: Contains more than 2% turkey.
- Happy Baby Organic Stage 2 Chicken with Vegetables: Contains over 2% chicken.