Testing One Degree Organic Sprouted Quick Oats for Lead, Cadmium, Mercury, & Arsenic with Independent (Community-Funded), Third-Party Laboratory Testing
Published May 18, 2025 — Sunday
A Quick Note from Tamara Rubin:
As many Lead Safe Mama community members are aware, we tested another product from this brand that came back with clean results, and that product is linked on our safer choices list below. We’re assuming that the Cadmium-level in this product (which differs significantly from our previous findings, as seen in the chart and lab report below) is either the result of batch-specific contamination of the crop OR the result of the processing that may differ between the regular sprouted rolled oats (which tested clean when we first tested the product in June 2024) and the “quick oats” version. (The full original lab report for this sprouted quick oats product is at the bottom of this page. Please scroll down past all the text and shareable social media graphics to check it out!)
Given the significant amount of Cadmium found in this One Degree brand sprouted quick oats product (and the fact that the test results are a stark contrast to the oat product we tested from this same brand in June 2024), we included a photo with the manufacturer’s batch info at the top of this article (we also included the manufacturer’s batch info on the lab report below). It is our recommendation that this batch (and product, until further testing is conducted) should not be consumed — it especially should not be consumed by young children. If, in response to these findings, you have concerns about this product and would like to file a complaint with the FDA, here’s the link to do so.
- As this set of test results (for the One Degree Organic Sprouted Quick Oats product) raises concerns for batch-specific variation in products from this brand, we — in response to receiving this report from the lab — sent a new sample of the original non-“quick” rolled oat product with the yellow and white packaging (that tested clean when we sent it in June 2024) to the lab for re-testing. We will have those results for comparison soon.
- We anticipated that once we published this report, the primary question readers would ask are, “Is this a problem for all One Degree Organic Foods oat products now?” and “Is the original sprouted rolled oats product from this brand still clean?” We want to be able to answer these questions as quickly as possible.
- We should have those results back from the lab in the next day or two and will publish the report as soon as possible after receiving it.
CONSIDERATIONS
- As we stated early on (shortly after we began to expand and grow the Lead Safe Mama, LLC Community Collaborative Laboratory Testing Initiative in 2024), it has always been our commitment and intention to periodically re-test all of the “clean” items on our safer choices list (re-testing as funding permits) to ensure the products on our safer choices list remain clean.
- Our goal is to re-test these products at least once a year, and twice a year (or more often) if funding permits.
- We are retesting the One Degree Organic Sprouted Rolled Oats just about 11 months after our initial test for the product.
- IF the original One Degree Organic Sprouted Rolled Oats product (yellow and white packaging) does not come back clean with this May 2025 re-test, we will remove it from our safer choices list.
- If the original One Degree Organic Sprouted Rolled Oats product does come back clean with this re-test, this information will help us (and the manufacturer of these products) identify the possible contamination sources, by giving us another data point to evaluate.
- This month we also sent a THIRD One Degree Organic Foods oat product in for testing (the organic steel cut oats from this brand) so that we would have recent test results of THREE One Degree Organic Foods oat products to compare (all tested within a short time-frame/ products purchased and tested in April and May of 2025).
- While speculating about contamination sources prior to getting results back is not particularly productive, IF all three oat products do test positive for unsafe levels of Cadmium with this round of testing, we will have uncovered a significant concern for this brand. We are hoping this will not be the case.
- We will be sharing this article with the company today (and will share any follow-up pieces as well).
In general, when we see Cadmium contamination levels this high in an organic food product (especially a grain crop), it is our understanding (based on research we have conducted to date) that the Cadmium contamination is most likely coming from the use of phosphate rock fertilizers with the crop in question. We would like to recommend that the manufacturer start by looking there in trying to identify and remedy the concern. As we are not intimately familiar with the processing that goes into making “Quick Oats” (vs. normal, “non-quick,” Sprouted Rolled Oats) — we also think it is reasonable to consider the hypothesis that the Cadmium contamination in this particular product may have been introduced with the processing of the product (and processing equipment should also be evaluated by the manufacturer as a possible source of contamination). Again, we will know more in just a few days when we get the new results back for the Sprouted Rolled Oats and The Steel Cut Oats from this brand, so please do check back on our social media pages and subscribe to our Patreon channel, or our newsletter, to make sure you get that information as soon as it is published.
I do want to note that — given the urgency in trying to identify whether or not this Cadmium-contamination is a batch specific concern or product-variant-specific/ processing issue — we sent the two additional products in for testing without first raising funds to cover the cost of testing and reporting on those products. If you would like to support that testing and reporting, please do consider making a contribution to our general GoFundMe campaign. Thank you.
All One Degree products we have tested to date:
- One Degree Organic Sprouted Quick Oats — tested in April 2025
- One Degree Organic Sprouted Rolled Oats — tested in June 2024 (on our safer choices list) — Lab report here
- One Degree Organic Sprouted Brown Rice Crisps Cereal — did not test clean in October 2024 — Lab report here
The full original lab report for this supplement product is at the bottom of this article. Please scroll down.
As far as safer choices for foods, supplements, and cosmetics go (including toothpastes and other personal care products), we have a few lists on our food and supplement testing landing page (linked here) you may find helpful in making safer choices for your family. We even have one dedicated to safer snack choices, here. You may also find this link helpful as it takes you to our most recently updated safer choices list of 73 lab-tested foods, cosmetics, and supplements!
Here’s the link to our landing page with ALL of the lab reports for the independent, third-party laboratory testing Lead Safe Mama, LLC has coordinated since March 2024 — this is also a good page to bookmark and check back on periodically (it is always pinned at the top of the website’s Menu via the button graphic below, and the Menu can be found at the top of every page on this site).
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).
- Tamara owns and runs Lead Safe Mama, LLC — a unique community collaborative woman-owned small business for childhood Lead poisoning prevention and consumer goods safety.
- Since July 2022, the work of Lead Safe Mama, LLC has been responsible for six product recalls (FDA and CPSC).
- All test results reported on this website are science-based, accurate, and replicable.
- Please check out our press page to see some of the news coverage of our work, linked here.
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 of our newly published lab reports are first shared on Patreon before we share them on social media (our Patreon has an option to subscribe for free as well)!
Are you interested in seeing MORE safer choices?
Below is an expanding list of products (foods, supplements, cosmetics, and personal care items) that 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 companies can manufacture safer choices (at least from the perspective of a concern for heavy metals contamination).
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The limits of detection (low-threshold of detection) for each of the metals tested are 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 our published lab reports are also linked here, on our lab testing landing page.
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Flavors (or specific variations) 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. Scroll down to see all 73 Lab-Tested Safer Choices:
- Baby Food — 1 — Little Spoon Kale, Carrot + Pear BabyBlends
- Baby Food — 2 —Little Spoon Butternut Squash + Blueberry BabyBlends
- Baby Food — 3 — Little Spoon Sweet Potato BabyBlends
- Baby Food — 4 — Little Spoon Sweet Potato + Carrot BabyBlends
- Baby Food — 5 — Little Spoon Banana + Pitaya BabyBlends
- Beverage — 1 — Honest Kids Organic Appley Ever After Apple Juice Drink: https://amzn.to/4fjGhov
- Beverage — 2 — Olipop Grape Tonic: https://amzn.to/4cjFYZu
- Breakfast Item — 1 — Nature’s Path Envirokidz Organic Panda Puffs: https://amzn.to/4fo1crf
- Breakfast Item — 2 — Nature’s Path Envirokidz Organic Corn Puffs Gorilla Munch: https://amzn.to/3FHZCDO
- Breakfast Item — 3 — One Degree Organic, Gluten-Free, Sprouted Rolled Oats (Canada): https://amzn.to/3WIQ1BN
- Candy — 1 — Lindt White Chocolate Bar (Made in USA, New Hampshire): https://amzn.to/3OXkyIm
- Candy — 2 — Cavendish & Harvey Wild Berry Drops, not organic (Germany): https://amzn.to/3Z1Jxjr
- Coffee & Tea — 1 — Chameleon Handcrafted Organic Cold Brew Concentrate: https://amzn.to/3OcrH77
- Coffee & Tea — 2 — Tao of Tea Organic Genmaicha (Tamara’s favorite, from Japan, sold by a Portland, Oregon-based company!): https://amzn.to/3Dp8Fsd
- Coffee & Tea — 3 — Califia Farms Almond Latte Cold Brew (XX Espresso): https://amzn.to/4gTTGoJ
- Coffee & Tea — 4 — Death Wish Organic Espresso Roast Ground Coffee (Multi-country origin, non-USA): https://amzn.to/3yo1eiL
- Coffee Creamer, Plant-Based — 1 — Laird Superfood Coconut Creamer: https://amzn.to/4fItA7A
- Coffee Creamer, Dairy — 2 — Organic Valley Grassmilk Half and Half: https://amzn.to/4fHJIWT
- Dairy, Cheese — 1 — Babybel Mini Original Snack Cheese: https://amzn.to/3ZY5noO
- Fruit Snack — 1 — GoGo Squeez Organic Apple Sauce Pouch: https://amzn.to/3XhWYLe
- Fruit Snack — 2 — Costco’s Kirkland Organic Apple Sauce Pouch: https://amzn.to/4gOYpZ9
- Fruit Snack — 3 — Pure Organic Layered Fruit Bars in Strawberry Banana Flavor: https://amzn.to/3WQEekA
- Fruit Snack — 4 — Once Upon A Farm Dairy Free Fruit Smoothie Pouch in Strawberry Banana Swirl Flavor: https://amzn.to/3CPMbAw
- Fruit Snack — 5 — Pure Organic Layered Fruit Bars in Raspberry Lemonade Flavor: https://amzn.to/3XcFsIp
- Infant Formula — 1 — Bobbie Organic Gentle Infant Formula Milk-Based Powder with Iron (pink and white can): https://amzn.to/3YYb849
- Infant Formula — 2 — Bobbie Organic Infant Formula Milk-Based Powder with Iron (green and white can): https://amzn.to/3VOr4Vy
- Infant Formula — 3 — Bobbie Grass-Fed Milk-Based Powder with Iron (green can): https://amzn.to/3ZlAaeJ
- Infant Formula — 4 — ByHeart Infant Formula (USA-made, not organic): https://amzn.to/48DJjTb
- Infant Formula — 5 — HiPP Bio Combiotik Infant Formula Powder, Stage 1 (imported)
- Infant Formula — 6 — HiPP HA Stage PRE (0+ Months) Combiotic Formula (imported)
- 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
- Infant Formula — 8 — Kendamil Goat Infant Formula (not organic): This product may be available at Target (it is not available on Amazon)
- Infant Formula — 9 — Kendamil Organic Follow-On Milk (European/ British Toddler Formula, for 6-12 months, Cow Milk): Not available on Amazon (report link)
- Infant Formula — 10 — Kendamil Whole Milk Infant Formula (from Europe, pink can, not organic), available at Target
- Infant Formula — 11 — Kendamil Organic Infant Formula (Cow Milk): Not available on Amazon but may be available at Target
- Ingredient — 1 — (salt) — Jacobsen’s Sea Salt (Oregon, USA): https://amzn.to/4dcbk5L
- NEW! Ingredient — 2 — (salt) — Maldon Sea Salt Flakes**: https://amzn.to/4iTzWTE
- NEW! Ingredient — 3 — (salt) — Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt** : https://amzn.to/4cVQMiy
- Ingredient — 4 — (baking flour) — Jovial Organic Einkorn Flour (Italy): https://amzn.to/3LIqxix
- Ingredient — 5 — (seeds) — Costco Kirkland Organic Hemp Seeds: https://amzn.to/4e05RP9
- Ingredient — 6 — (seeds) — Navitas Organic, Gluten-Free Chia Seeds (Mexico): https://amzn.to/3YvE7xC
- Ingredient — 7 — (vinegar) — Napa Valley Naturals Organic Red Wine Vinegar (California): https://amzn.to/4jWhHOg
- Ingredient — 8 — (beans) — Jovial Organic Chickpeas, Product of Italy: https://amzn.to/4iRON1l
- Ingredient — 9 — (sugar) — Anthony’s Organic Granulated Cane Sugar: https://amzn.to/4jf6vLv
- NEW! Ingredient — 10 — (sweetener) — Espure Organic Xylitol**: https://amzn.to/3GsCSrU
- NEW! Ingredient — 11 — (sweetener) — Now Foods Xylitol**: https://amzn.to/4cNWDpM
- Oil — 1 — Chosen Foods 100% Avocado Oil (not organic): https://amzn.to/3YDZSuv
- Oil — 2 — Dr. Adorable’s Organic Perilla Seed Oil (Korea): https://amzn.to/3NDt7Yc
- Oil — 3 — Dr. Bronner’s Regenerative Organic Coconut Oil: https://amzn.to/40xwBmv
- Plant-Based Milk — 1 — Kiki Milk Organic Plant-Based Milk (original flavor): https://amzn.to/3AA6Qrt
- Plant-Based Milk — 2 — West Soy Unflavored Unsweetened Organic Soy Milk: https://amzn.to/4dwev8l
- Supplement — 1 — Baby Ddrops, Organic Vitamin D3 Supplement for Babies: https://amzn.to/49C3ktH
- Supplement — 2 — Doctor’s Best Vitamin C with Q-C: https://amzn.to/4hlVvea
- Supplement — 3 — Mary Ruth’s Organic Toddler Multivitamin Liquid Drops with Iron: https://amzn.to/3YPhcgx
- Supplement — 4 — Mary Ruth’s Organic Toddler Elderberry Liquid Drops: https://amzn.to/42617TU
- Supplement — 5 — Nordic Naturals Omega-3 Fish Oil: https://amzn.to/48q1j2V
- Supplement — 6 — Nordic Naturals Kids Vitamin D3 Gummies (Ages 3+): https://amzn.to/4l7117a
- Supplement — 7 — Pectasol Modified Citrus Pectin, Formulated in the USA: https://amzn.to/3QUmZfN
- Supplement — 8 — Pendulum Metabolic Daily Dietary Supplement: https://amzn.to/4gY5wOm
- Cosmetic — 1 — Kora Organics Noni Face Oil: https://amzn.to/43hy2XO
- NEW! Cosmetic— 2 — Babo Botanicals Sensitive Baby Lotion**: https://amzn.to/3YmKxy1
- Toothpaste — 1 — Fluoride-free Orajel Kids Training Toothpaste in Natural Berry Fruity Flavor with Elmo Sesame Street Packaging: https://amzn.to/41wxtrY
- Toothpaste — 2 — Fluoride-free Miessence Mint Toothpaste: https://amzn.to/4bJc4PO
- Toothpaste — 3 — Dr. Brown’s Fluoride-free Baby Toothpaste in Strawberry Flavor: https://amzn.to/3DCehzZ
- Toothpaste — 4 — Pegciz Kids Foam Toothpaste in Watermelon Flavor, Low Flouride (packaging varies, see report): https://amzn.to/3YzP68e
- Toothpaste — 5 — Kid’s Spry Fluoride-free Tooth Gel with Xylitol in Original Flavor: https://amzn.to/41GZb4e
- NEW! Toothpaste — 6 — Fluoride-free Essential Oxygen BR Certified Organic in Peppermint Flavor**: https://amzn.to/4lARZ2J
**Lab reports pending/ Not yet published as of 4/28/2025
Here’s a link to our landing page featuring 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).
- Ingredient — Maseca Instant Corn Masa Flour, Product of Mexico (positive for traces of Arsenic): https://amzn.to/4iR8qWN
- 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
- Fruit Snack — That’s It Apple Cherry Bars, not organic (positive for traces of Arsenic): https://amzn.to/4fHkSWV
- Oil — Chosen Foods 100% Pure Avocado oil, organic (postive for traces of Arsenic): https://amzn.to/3BVQYQa
- Supplement — Now Sunflower Lecithin, not organic (positive for traces of Arsenic): https://amzn.to/3AFdHzO
- 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.
Lab report for the product pictured above:
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