Chart Comparing the Toxicant Profiles of Popular Flour Products (Wheat, Gluten Free 1-to-1, Cassava, etc.) Tested by Independent, Third-Party Labs

ByTamara Posted:
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Quick Summary Of The Data In The Chart Below

  • 100% of Cassava-based flours (including Tapioca and Arrowroot flours / starches) that have been tested to date through the Lead Safe Mama, LLC Community Collaborative Laboratory Testing Initiative have tested positive for Lead.
  • 100% of Gluten Free flours tested positive for Heavy Metals.
  • 87.5% of Wheat flours that we have tested to date have tested positive for Cadmium (a known carcinogen).
  • 87.5% of Organic flours that we have tested to date have tested positive for Heavy Metals.
  • 76.9% of Gluten Free flours (including Cassava flours) that  we have tested to date have tested positive for Lead.
  • All relevant federal agencies agree that there is no safe level of Lead exposure for human beings.

Background on Lead Safe Mama, LLC’s Community Collaborative Laboratory Testing Initiative

 

The Lead Safe Mama, LLC (LSM) team has been conducting independent, community-funded, scientific testing of consumer goods since 2009. Prior to 2024 our work primarily focused on testing consumer goods (including dishes, toys, household items, furniture, jewelry, etc.) using XRF technology.

In March of 2024, LSM began coordinating independent, third-party, community-collaborative laboratory testing of foods, supplements, cosmetics, and personal-care items. Since then we have sent more than 400 community-nominated products to laboratories, testing for Lead, Mercury, Cadmium, and Arsenic. You can find all of our published lab reports for products we have tested through this initiative to date on this link — flour products are just a small subset of the products we have tested.

How are products chosen for testing?
How is this testing paid for?

This laboratory testing initiative is driven by the interests and priorities of the greater Lead Safe Mama community (we had nearly 2.3 million unique individual readers here on this website in the 2024 calendar year alone and also have a strong social media presence on both Instagram and Facebook). That means Lead Safe Mama community members nominate products for laboratory testing and then the LSM community uses crowd-funding (including through GoFundMe) to raise the money needed and cover the costs related to that testing and reporting for these nominated products. This is how the flour products listed in the chart below were chosen for testing, and how the testing and reporting was paid for. This unique model of community-directed (and funded) testing and reporting helps ensure that this initiative is truly free of corporate influence, and instead strongly rooted in science (without bias).

Raw, Direct-to-Consumer Data that’s Never Behind a Paywall

Here’s another unique aspect of Lead Safe Mama, LLC’s work: All of our findings (including the raw data/ original lab reports) are always shared publicly (here on the Lead Safe Mama website and our social media), free of charge, and not behind a paywall of any kind. While contributions in support of our work are always welcome, they are not required.

The intention behind the Lead Safe Mama, LLC laboratory testing initiative is twofold: 1.) To identify lab-tested safer products, helping consumers make science-informed choices regarding the products they use with their families, and 2.) To identify products with egregious levels of toxicants that we can then (collectively) report to public agencies (including the FDA) in an effort to get those products recalled.

A foundation of LSM’s work is the understanding (and agreement with scientific and medical consensus) that there is no safe level of Lead exposure for humans, and that we (as consumers) should demand companies be held accountable for manufacturing and selling Lead-contaminated product — especially products marketed and sold for use by children (or products marketed for general use that will likely be used or consumed by children).

Here are the TWO flour products we analyzed to date that tested safe by all standards when tested for Lead, Cadmium, Mercury, and Arsenic: #1 tested “non-detect” for all four, #2 tested positive for traces of Arsenic, but at a level that is considered safe by all standards (very low, trace amounts). All of the other flour products we have tested to date tested positive for concerning levels of toxicants:
  1. Italy (Einkorn Flour): https://amzn.to/4iEgsRM
  2. Mexico (Corn Flour): https://amzn.to/3YQ9B0s

Chart Last Updated: April 28, 2025 — Monday

  • The chart  below (comparing the toxicant profiles of laboratory-tested flour products) is a work-in-progress.
  • Some articles and lab reports are pending/ will be published shortly and those are noted in the list below the chart with  “**” 
  • Please check back periodically for the latest updates.
  • You can click the chart image below for a downloadable PDF copy.
  • Links to articles with full original lab reports for each of the flour products tested (and shown in this chart) can be found in the numbered list below the chart, please scroll down.
  • Continue reading below the chart for additional information (including the full list of lab-tested safer products identified to date through this initiative) — thank you!

This is an ad-free article.

Advertising and affiliate income help Lead Safe Mama, LLC cover the costs of the work we do here (independent consumer goods testing and childhood Lead poisoning prevention advocacy). We have removed ads from most of our more widely-read articles (like this one!) to make them easier for you to read. In addition to supporting this work by starting any shopping you might be doing with a click on our affiliate links, if you would like to support the independent consumer goods testing and childhood Lead poisoning prevention advocacy work of Lead Safe Mama, LLC by making a contribution (which will also help us keep our more widely-read articles ad-free), click here. Thank you! You can also support our work with a small monthly gift on Patreon. All our newly published lab reports are first shared on Patreon before we share them on social media.

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).

The  chart above compares the toxicant profiles of popular flour products (wheat flours, gluten free flours, measure-for-measure replacement flours, corn flour, cassava flours) that we have tested through the community collaborative (community directed and funded), independent, third-party laboratory testing Lead Safe Mama, LLC is coordinating.

The direct links to each of the articles we have since published — for flour products that we sent to a lab for testing — are below in alphabetical order. The full original lab report for any given product is always at the bottom of the article discussing that product. For flour products that tested “non-detect” for toxicants (or positive but safe by all standards) with our independent, third party, community-funded laboratory testing initiative, the LSM affiliate link is included in the list below, after the product article link. Your purchases through these links help support the continued work of Lead Safe Mama, LLC. To learn more about our work, click here for our about page. If you would like to nominate a product for testing (a product not shown in the list below), click this link and follow the instructions included.

  1. 365 Whole Foods Market All Purpose Organic Flour
  2. Amafil Polvilho Doce (Cassava Flour – Brazil) – Not Organic
  3. Anthony’s Organic Cassava Flour (lab report not yet published)**
  4. Anthony’s Organic Tiger Nut Flour
  5. Austrian Organic Flour – purchased in Austria (lab report not yet published)**
  6. Bob’s Red Mill Arrowroot Flour / Starch – Not Organic
  7. Bob’s Red Mill Cassava Flour – May 2024 Test – Not Organic
  8. Bob’s Red Mill Cassava Flour – April 2025 Test – Not Organic (lab report not yet published)**
  9. Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour
  10. Bob’s Red Mill Tapioca Flour / Starch – Not Organic
  11. Costco Organic All Purpose Unbleached Flour
  12. Gold Medal Premium Quality All Purpose Flour – Not Organic
  13. Italian Flour – Purchased In US (lab report not yet published)**
  14. Jovial Organic Einkorn Flour – Italy – https://amzn.to/4iEgsRM
  15. King Arthur Measure-For-Measure Gluten Free Flour – Not Organic
  16. King Arthur Organic Unbleached Bread Flour
  17. Maseca Corn Meal Flour – Mexico – Not Organic – https://amzn.to/3YQ9B0s
  18. Otto’s Naturals Multi-Purpose Cassava Flour – Not Organic
  19. Pillsbury Best All Purpose Flour – Not Organic
  20. Quay Naturals Premium Cassava Flour – Not Organic
  21. Terrasoul Superfoods Organic Cassava Flour

** Lab report to be published shortly – last updated on April 28 2025

Please check out our open/ not-yet-funded campaigns on GoFundMe if you would like to support some of our additional independent, crowd-funded, third-party laboratory testing. Thank you!

This link has all of our not-yet-funded testing campaigns.

Are you interested in seeing MORE safer choices?

Below is an EXPANDING list of products (foods, supplements, cosmetics, and personal care items) that have tested “non-detect” for Lead, Mercury, Cadmium, and Arsenic with independent, third-party, community-funded laboratory testing coordinated by Lead Safe Mama, LLC (an Oregon-based small business with a unique community-collaborative business model and a focus on consumer goods safety and childhood Lead poisoning prevention). The product-examples below clearly demonstrate that it is possible for companies to manufacture safer choices (at least from the perspective of the concern for heavy metals contamination).
–
The limits of detection (low-threshold of detection) for each of the metals tested can be found in the lab report for the specific product listed. To see the full  original lab report for any of these products, type the brand name into the search bar at the top of any page on Lead Safe Mama dot com (and scroll down to the bottom of the related article). All of our published lab reports can also be found linked here, on our lab-testing landing page.
–
Flavors tested are noted, and other flavors of the same product (or other products from the same brand) have either not been tested or have been tested but did not yield similar results. Test results only apply to the specific products linked below.

LIST UPDATED April 28, 2025
Now at 67 products + 6 “bonus” options. (73 total Lab-Tested Safer Choices) Scroll down to see them all:

  1. Baby Food — 1 — Little Spoon Kale, Carrot + Pear BabyBlends
  2. Baby Food — 2 —Little Spoon Butternut Squash + Blueberry BabyBlends
  3. Baby Food — 3 — Little Spoon Sweet Potato BabyBlends
  4. Baby Food — 4 — Little Spoon Sweet Potato + Carrot BabyBlends
  5. Baby Food — 5 — Little Spoon Banana + Pitaya BabyBlends
  6. Beverage — 1 — Honest Kids Organic Appley Ever After Apple Juice Drink: https://amzn.to/4fjGhov
  7. Beverage — 2 —  Olipop Grape Tonic: https://amzn.to/4cjFYZu
  8. Breakfast Item — 1 — Nature’s Path Envirokidz Organic Panda Puffs: https://amzn.to/4fo1crf
  9. Breakfast Item — 2 — Nature’s Path Envirokidz Organic Corn Puffs Gorilla Munch: https://amzn.to/3FHZCDO
  10. Breakfast Item — 3 — One Degree Organic, Gluten-Free, Sprouted Rolled Oats (Canada): https://amzn.to/3WIQ1BN
  11. Candy — 1 — Lindt White Chocolate Bar (Made in USA, New Hampshire): https://amzn.to/3OXkyIm
  12. Candy — 2 — Cavendish & Harvey Wild Berry Drops, not organic (Germany): https://amzn.to/3Z1Jxjr
  13. Coffee & Tea — 1 — Chameleon Handcrafted Organic Cold Brew Concentrate: https://amzn.to/3OcrH77
  14. Coffee & Tea — 2 — Tao of Tea Organic Genmaicha (Tamara’s favorite, from Japan, sold by a Portland, Oregon-based company!): https://amzn.to/3Dp8Fsd
  15. Coffee & Tea — 3 — Califia Farms Almond Latte Cold Brew (XX Espresso): https://amzn.to/4gTTGoJ
  16. Coffee & Tea — 4 — Death Wish Organic Espresso Roast Ground Coffee (Multi-country origin, non-USA): https://amzn.to/3yo1eiL  
  17. Coffee Creamer, Plant-Based  — 1 — Laird Superfood Coconut Creamer: https://amzn.to/4fItA7A
  18. Coffee Creamer, Dairy — 2 — Organic Valley Grassmilk Half and Half: https://amzn.to/4fHJIWT
  19. Dairy, Cheese — 1 — Babybel Mini Original Snack Cheese: https://amzn.to/3ZY5noO
  20. Fruit Snack — 1 — GoGo Squeez Organic Apple Sauce Pouch: https://amzn.to/3XhWYLe
  21. Fruit Snack — 2 — Costco’s Kirkland Organic Apple Sauce Pouch: https://amzn.to/4gOYpZ9
  22. Fruit Snack — 3 — Pure Organic Layered Fruit Bars in Strawberry Banana Flavor: https://amzn.to/3WQEekA
  23. Fruit Snack — 4 — Once Upon A Farm Dairy Free Fruit Smoothie Pouch in Strawberry Banana Swirl Flavor: https://amzn.to/3CPMbAw
  24. Fruit Snack — 5 — Pure Organic Layered Fruit Bars in Raspberry Lemonade Flavor: https://amzn.to/3XcFsIp
  25. Infant Formula — 1 — Bobbie Organic Gentle Infant Formula Milk-Based Powder with Iron (pink and white can): https://amzn.to/3YYb849 
  26. Infant Formula — 2 — Bobbie Organic Infant Formula Milk-Based Powder with Iron (green and white can): https://amzn.to/3VOr4Vy
  27. Infant Formula — 3 — Bobbie Grass-Fed Milk-Based Powder with Iron (green can): https://amzn.to/3ZlAaeJ
  28. Infant Formula — 4 — ByHeart Infant Formula (USA-made, not organic): https://amzn.to/48DJjTb
  29. Infant Formula — 5 — HiPP Bio Combiotik Infant Formula Powder, Stage 1 (imported)
  30. Infant Formula — 6 — HiPP HA Stage PRE (0+ Months) Combiotic Formula  (imported)
  31. Infant Formula — 7 — Holle Bio Goat Stage 2 Infant Formula (for 6-10 months, organic, European — Swiss/ German/ Austrian) is not available on Amazon, but the Stage 3 version of this product is (not yet tested, but will likely test similarly): https://amzn.to/3BVU7zI
  32. Infant Formula — 8 — Kendamil Goat Infant Formula (not organic): This product may be available at Target (it is not available on Amazon)
  33. Infant Formula — 9 — Kendamil Organic Follow-On Milk (European/ British Toddler Formula, for 6-12 months, Cow Milk): Not available on Amazon (report link)
  34. Infant Formula — 10 — Kendamil Whole Milk Infant Formula (from Europe, pink can, not organic), available at Target
  35. Infant Formula — 11 — Kendamil Organic Infant Formula (Cow Milk): Not available on Amazon but may be available at Target
  36. Ingredient — 1 — (salt) — Jacobsen’s Sea Salt (Oregon, USA): https://amzn.to/4dcbk5L
  37. NEW! Ingredient — 2 — (salt) — Maldon Sea Salt Flakes**: https://amzn.to/4iTzWTE
  38. NEW! Ingredient — 3 — (salt) — Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt** : https://amzn.to/4cVQMiy
  39. Ingredient — 4 — (baking flour) — Jovial Organic Einkorn Flour (Italy): https://amzn.to/3LIqxix 
  40. Ingredient — 5 — (seeds) — Costco Kirkland Organic Hemp Seeds: https://amzn.to/4e05RP9
  41. Ingredient — 6 — (seeds) — Navitas Organic, Gluten-Free Chia Seeds (Mexico): https://amzn.to/3YvE7xC
  42. Ingredient — 7 — (vinegar) — Napa Valley Naturals Organic Red Wine Vinegar (California): https://amzn.to/4jWhHOg
  43. Ingredient — 8 — (beans) — Jovial Organic Chickpeas, Product of Italy: https://amzn.to/4iRON1l
  44. Ingredient — 9 — (sugar) — Anthony’s Organic Granulated Cane Sugar: https://amzn.to/4jf6vLv
  45. NEW!  Ingredient — 10 — (sweetener) — Espure Organic Xylitol**: https://amzn.to/3GsCSrU
  46. NEW!  Ingredient — 10 — (sweetener) —  Now Foods Xylitol**: https://amzn.to/4cNWDpM
  47. Oil — 1 — Chosen Foods 100% Avocado Oil (not organic): https://amzn.to/3YDZSuv
  48. Oil — 2 — Dr. Adorable’s Organic Perilla Seed Oil (Korea): https://amzn.to/3NDt7Yc
  49. Oil — 3 — Dr. Bronner’s Regenerative Organic Coconut Oil: https://amzn.to/40xwBmv
  50. Plant-Based Milk — 1 — Kiki Milk Organic Plant-Based Milk (original flavor): https://amzn.to/3AA6Qrt
  51. Plant-Based Milk — 2 — West Soy Unflavored Unsweetened Organic Soy Milk: https://amzn.to/4dwev8l
  52. Supplement — 1 — Baby Ddrops, Organic Vitamin D3 Supplement for Babies: https://amzn.to/49C3ktH
  53. Supplement — 2 — Doctor’s Best Vitamin C with Q-C: https://amzn.to/4hlVvea
  54. Supplement — 3 — Mary Ruth’s Organic Toddler Multivitamin Liquid Drops with Iron: https://amzn.to/3YPhcgx
  55. Supplement — 4 — Mary Ruth’s Organic Toddler Elderberry Liquid Drops: https://amzn.to/42617TU
  56. Supplement — 5  — Nordic Naturals Omega-3 Fish Oil: https://amzn.to/48q1j2V
  57. Supplement — 6 — Nordic Naturals Kids Vitamin D3 Gummies (Ages 3+): https://amzn.to/4l7117a
  58. Supplement — 7 — Pectasol Modified Citrus Pectin, Formulated in the USA: https://amzn.to/3QUmZfN
  59. Supplement — 8 — Pendulum Metabolic Daily Dietary Supplement: https://amzn.to/4gY5wOm
  60. Cosmetic — 1 — Kora Organics Noni Face Oil: https://amzn.to/43hy2XO
  61. NEW!  Cosmetic— 2 — Babo Botanicals Sensitive Baby Lotion**: https://amzn.to/3YmKxy1
  62. Cosmetic —  3 — Fluoride-free Toothpaste! — Orajel Kids Training Toothpaste in Natural Berry Fruity Flavor, Elmo Sesame Street Packaging, Fluoride-free: https://amzn.to/41wxtrY
  63. Cosmetic —  4 — Fluoride-free Toothpaste! —  Miessence Mint Toothpaste: https://amzn.to/4bJc4PO
  64. Cosmetic —  5 — Fluoride-free Toothpaste! — Dr. Brown’s Fluoride-free Baby Toothpaste in Strawberry Flavor: https://amzn.to/3DCehzZ
  65. Cosmetic —  6 — Low-Fluoride Toothpaste! —  Pegciz Kids Foam Toothpaste in Watermelon Flavor: https://amzn.to/3YzP68e
  66. Cosmetic —  7 — Fluoride-free Toothpaste! — Kid’s Spry Tooth Gel with Xylitol in Original Flavor: https://amzn.to/41GZb4e
  67. NEW!  Cosmetic —  8 — Fluoride-free Toothpaste! — Essential Oxygen BR Certified Organic in Peppermint Flavor**: https://amzn.to/4lARZ2J

**Lab reports pending/ Not yet published as of 4/28/2025 — Monday

Here’s the link to our landing page that features all of the third-party lab reports for the foods, supplements, and cosmetic products we have published to date, including those listed above: https://tamararubin.com/2024/05/food-articles/

Stand by for more!

BONUS: Below are SIX additional products that each tested positive for trace (very low levels of) Arsenic — at levels considered safe by all standards (with the limits of detection noted in the lab report for the specific product listed):

  1. Ingredient — Maseca Instant Corn Masa Flour, Product of Mexico (positive for traces of Arsenic):  https://amzn.to/4iR8qWN
  2. Infant Formula — Kendamil Goat Toddler Milk, not organic (positive for traces of Arsenic): May be available at Target or through other online retailers of European infant formulas
  3. Fruit Snack — That’s It Apple Cherry Bars, not organic (positive for traces of Arsenic): https://amzn.to/4fHkSWV
  4. Oil — Chosen Foods 100% Pure Avocado oil, organic (postive for traces of Arsenic): https://amzn.to/3BVQYQa
  5. Supplement — Now Sunflower Lecithin, not organic (positive for traces of Arsenic): https://amzn.to/3AFdHzO
  6. Supplement — WishGarden Immune Boost Seasonal Rescue for Pregnancy: https://amzn.to/3Cd940N

Amazon links are affiliate links. 

Amazon links are affiliate links. If you purchase something after clicking on a Lead Safe Mama, LLC Amazon affiliate link, Lead Safe Mama, LLC may receive a percentage of what you spend at no extra cost to you.

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