Cassava Testing: Bob’s Red Mill Grain Free Cassava Flour Tested for Lead, Cadmium, Mercury & Arsenic

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For those new to the Lead Safe Mama website:

Tamara Rubin is a multiple-federal-award-winning independent advocate for childhood Lead poisoning prevention and consumer goods safety, and a documentary filmmaker. She is also a mother of Lead-poisoned children (two of her four sons were acutely Lead-poisoned in 2005).


 

    



Affiliate link to the test kit used by Lead Safe Mama, LLC for the laboratory food test results we publish:
https://amzn.to/3UIPcHP


The chart below is from the United States’ baby food regulatory standards proposed in 2021:


May 10, 2024 — Friday
Section #1) Context & Background for This Testing

  1. WHY: Lead Safe Mama, LLC is coordinating this testing — and making these test results available to the public free of charge (not behind a paywall of any kind) — as part of our ongoing work in the areas of Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention and Consumer Goods Safety. Learn more about Lead Safe Mama, LLC at this link.
  2. URGENCY/ UNSAFE PRODUCT: Given the extremely high level of Lead found in this product, and therefore our responsibility as an advocacy organization to make this information available to the public as quickly as possible rather than incur any delay by waiting to write-up a comprehensive detailed article, we have decided to quickly go ahead and publish this (alongside other test results from this May 2024 batch of laboratory testing) as a preliminary article — with the warning graphic (above), along with the full laboratory test results for this product (see the image below), and this  bulleted list outlining key points related to these test results — so Lead Safe Mama community members (and members of the general public) have immediate access to this important information, helping them protect their families.
  3. BATCH TWO: This cassava flour testing is one in a group of eight products we tested for Lead Safe Mama, LLC’s second batch of laboratory testing in 2024.
    • We will be writing a comprehensive article discussing (comparatively) the test results for this second batch of products shortly and will link that here, once it has been published.
    • “Batch Two” consisted of eight products — all either flours, or flour-based food products.
    • To read the article that discusses our first batch of laboratory testing in 2024 (in which we tested six flour-based snack products), click here.
    • Additionally (in the meantime, pending the publishing of the overview article about Batch Two), if you would like more general background information about this issue of Lead contamination in Cassava flours and Cassava flour-based products (as well as alternative [Cassava-free] suggestions for feeding your children), please also read the overview article for the first batch of testing linked above (in the point for that information). This article also discusses how/ why we selected the particular products we chose to test.
  4. WHAT YOU CAN DO: As a companion piece to our first article, we also wrote a fairly comprehensive follow-up piece discussing what you can — and ideally, should — do if you have been feeding any of these heavily-Lead-contaminated foods to your children. You can read that article here.
  5. OVERVIEW of the concern for high-Lead (Paleo/GF) diets: Back in 2023 we wrote an overview article discussing a specific case study for a family we worked with, whom was eating a diet full of high-Lead foods, and you can read that here (for more context into this work).
  6. FUTURE TESTING: Lead Safe Mama, LLC plans on continuing to coordinate independent laboratory testing batches of concering products on a monthly basis, through the summer (2024) — so please stay tuned for those additional test results to be published.
    • If you want to be among the first to see those test results as soon as they are published, please subscribe to our newsletter (it’s free). Here’s the link to subscribe.
    • To see all articles related to food testing that Lead Safe Mama, LLC has completed to date, click here.
  7. COST OF TESTING: Accurate quantitative testing of food items — or any substance intended to be ingested — requires laboratory testing methodologies (the only means of performing accurate quantitative testing for metallic toxicants down to single digit parts per billion [ppb] levels — vs. XRF technology, which accurately detects down to parts per million [ppm] levels). For context: 1 ppm is equal to 1,000 ppb.
    • Laboratory testing is a relatively expensive undertaking — and consequently, most consumers do not have the funding available to pay to have it done themselves.
    • Given the high cost, Lead Safe Mama, LLC’s capacity to conduct such testing is also limited.
    • For the laboratory testing we are doing this year (2024), the lab we are using (GoSimpleLab.com) has generously agreed to donate some testing (they are providing a limited amount of testing each month to Lead Safe Mama, LLC pro bono). 
    • As Lead Safe Mama, LLC’s access to this testing is limited at this stage, we are prioritizing testing products based on input from our online community to make sure the test results for these first selected batches (and analysis of the test results) are useful to the greatest number of people.
      • Given our limited access to testing, we are specifically selecting products that (based on our experience and knowledge) we anticipate will test positive for unsafe levels of one or more heavy metals — but which the manufacturer has either not tested, or has tested and refuses to make their results available to the public.
      • We are choosing these products to both help discover (or in some cases confirm some prior-suspected) “hidden” or “mysterious” sources of Lead poisoning for families who have been searching for an unidentified source of exposure, and also so the Lead Safe Mama community can put pressure on these companies to recall these contaminated products and/or clean-up/ reformulate products.
    • If your family is fortunate to have the financial resources that cover the costs of testing some specific food(s) you consume in your home, and you would like to send some samples to a lab for testing yourself, you can purchase the same test kits we are using here, at this link (each test kit is for one single food item).
  8.  TESTING CONSIDERATIONS:
    • Lead Safe Mama, LLC is purchasing the products for testing directly (from Amazon, direct from the company, or from local grocery stores in Portland, Oregon).
    • Lead Safe Mama, LLC is sending products to the lab “blind.”
      • The samples are submitted to the lab without any details about the products (ingredients, brands, product names, or any other descriptive information).
      • Each sample is identified only by an internal Lead Safe Mama identification code that we assign to it.
    • We are filming the sample collection process for each batch of samples submitted for testing — that way we have evidence, should any of the companies attempt to challenge these test results.
    • We are also saving the packaging (and when relevant, the unused portion of the product), in the event we need that information as evidence should any of the companies whose products we are testing attempt to challenge our results.
Amazon links are affiliate links. If you purchase something after clicking on one of Lead Safe Mama, LLC’s affiliate links, we may receive a small percentage of what you spend at no extra cost to you.

Section #2) Important key points about the lab testing report below

  • The product tested for this article (image at the top of the page) was Bob’s Red Mill Grain Free Cassava Flour
  • The product tested was purchased on Amazon in April, 2024
  • The product was tested in May, 2024
  • The test result for Lead was 303 parts per billion (ppb)
  • Per the chart above, the scientific/ medical community recommendation is that infants and toddlers should not eat foods with a level of 5 ppb Lead or higher.
  • All federal agencies agree there is no “safe” level of Lead exposure for human beings (and especially for children).
  • A reminder, to counter the fallacious arguments made by those who manufacture, sell, or promote these products: While some of the Lead contamination in this product may be “naturally-occurring” — for example, a plant’s absorption of Lead from contaminated soil (which is arguably really not a “natural” source of Lead), and some of the Lead-contamination may be from the processing of the plant(s) to turn them into flour — even “naturally-occurring” Lead is bioavailable and unsafe for consumption. The food-industry contention that the Lead is allegedly “naturally occurring,” and/ or “unavoidable,” and therefore somehow not concerning is simply dangerous misinformation.
  • The product tested was “negative” for Arsenic, with a low threshold of detection for that test of 20 ppb (this means it may contain Arsenic at a level as high as 19 ppb).
  • The product tested was “negative” for Cadmium, with a low threshold of detection for that test of 10 ppb (this means it may contain Cadmium at a level as high as 9 ppb).
  • The product tested was “negative” for Mercury, with a low threshold of detection for that test of 5 ppb (this means it may contain Mercury at a level as high as 4 ppb).

Section #3) Full Test Report for Bob’s Red Mill Cassava Flour:

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26 Comments

  1. Do you think this could be an issue with all of their products? We eat a lot of the Bob’s Red Mill instant oatmeal and I’m breatfeeding.

      1. Why did their tapioca flour test so low versus their cassava flour? I thought tapioca came from cassava?

        1. Where are the test results for the tapioca flour? We use a lot of the tapoica flour and I am concerned.

  2. Have you tested the actual cassava fruit (I think that’s what it is) or is it something in the production process that causes the lead content?

  3. Thank you so much for testing this! What a result! If by any chance you are looking for products to test, could you please test potato starch (as that would be a possible replacement for tapioca starch and cassava flour in grain-free baking recipes). As another root vegetable, I wonder if it’s any better. I also wonder about fresh root vegetables like sweet potatoes and potatoes. Thank you for everything you do!

    1. Have any other gluten free cassava flour brands been tested for heavy metals? I’m following the autoimmune protocol (AIP) and cassava is one of the recommended flours, as any grains (including those considered gluten free) are not compliant. I don’t use too much cassava flour in my cooking, because I successfully reintroduced the almond flour, but I have some pastries using cassava flour that I have to make sometimes. And I don’t know what brand to buy. Please note that flours made from rice, oats, corn buckwheat, flaxseed, quinoa are causing me a globus sensation in my throat and it only goes away after two months of strict diet

  4. Does lead transfer significantly through breast milk? I am also breast feeding and have eaten a lot of cassava flour based food. Wondering if we need to get blood lead levels for both baby and me.

  5. Thank you for testing Bob’s Red Mill Cassava. I have had a package in the pantry…I’m happy to say I never opened it…it was on sale and I thought it would be a good substitute for gluten free diet. I really appreciate the work you are doing!
    Cheers!
    Mona

  6. Hi Tamara, do you think the metals come from the plant itself or gets in through the processing? Since it is possible to make your own cassava flour easily enough, this might be a consideration for some.

  7. Would you consider testing tapioca starch? I know that it is derived from cassava, but is processed differently so I wonder if it would also be high?

    1. That’s interesting. I never thought to link the two. My daughter likes to drink a lot of boba tea, and the boba pearls are made from tapioca starch. One more thing to be concerned about 🙁

  8. I use organic arrowroot powder in place of body powder. Is it safe to use? If not what can you recommend I use? I cannot use cornstarch.

  9. Have you ever tested this product before? We’ve been using bags we purchased on sale last year. I’m not going to continue using the product, but I’m wondering if there’s a chance those batches were not as dangerous. Thanks!

  10. Otto brand cassava flour claims to be superior to Bob’s Red Mill cassava flour. Do you have any plans to test this brand. Those of us with auto immune conditions that preclude eating any type of grains rely heavily on cassava flour as an important part of our diet.

  11. If you want to get Bob’s Red Mill to change as soon as possible because you need their products, then I wrote a letter you can copy & paste into their “Contact Us” form.

    Form:
    https://www.bobsredmill.com/contact/

    Subject:
    A Concerned Customer’s Plea: The Importance of Lead-Free Products

    Body:
    Dear Bob’s Red Mill Team,

    I hope this message finds you well. I am writing to share a deep concern that has affected my relationship with your products, a range I have trusted and used for nearly a decade.

    Recently, I came across information that suggested the presence of lead and other heavy metals in your Cassava Flour. This information, shared by Tamara Rubin, indicated that the product contained levels of lead that were 60 times the safe limit in food products. This was not just shocking, but deeply troubling for me.

    As a long-time customer, I have always admired Bob’s Red Mill for its commitment to quality, ethics, and focus on nutrition. Your brand has been a part of my kitchen, my home, and my life.

    I understand that issues like these can slip under the radar, and I believe that your hearts are in the right place. That is why I am reaching out to you today, not to critique, but to express my concern and hope for a resolution.

    I would love nothing more than to continue using your products, and I believe your team has the capacity, and the heart, to address this issue. This is a chance to protect your consumers and continue to provide good jobs for Americans, to live up to the high standards that Bob’s Red Mill has always set.

    Please, consider this a plea from a concerned and loyal customer. I kindly ask that you look into this matter, test your supply chain, and work towards eliminating these metals from your products. I trust that you will handle this with the same dedication and commitment that you apply to all your endeavors.

    Thank you for taking the time to read my message, and I look forward to a time when I can once again wholeheartedly support and rely on your products.

    Best regards,

    [Your Name]

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