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Most Grass-Fed Meat Box Delivery Companies are Offering Beef, Chicken, & Pork

Meat Box Delivery Companies have become very popular as a way to buck “Big Meat” and go direct to farmers. Most companies offer beef, chicken, & pork for you to purchase and will ship to anywhere in the continental United States. It took us a few years to investigate this industry, but we’ve created the most useful list online to help you try new meat box delivery companies OR go direct to farmers and cut out the middlemen completely.

Mamavation has partnered with the American Grassfed Association for many years. Their Executive Director, Carrie Balkom, is a tough, no-nonsense staple in the ranching community. She grew up on a cattle ranch in Florida connected to multi-generational ranching. Today, she runs a non-profit that certifies farms “100% grass-fed” and promotes pasture-based livestock production. It’s always a pleasure to spend time with Carrie, so we visited her at the American Pastured Poultry Producers Association annual conference in Florida this year. We also interviewed several farmers about their farm practices while we were there. APPPA represents independent pastured poultry farmers who primarily sell direct to consumers across the United States. They currently count more than 1,000 active member farms and have been the association of record for the growing pasture poultry movement.

Although this was a chicken-focused event, many of these farmers also process beef & pork, so we were able to focus on everything while there. It was important to hear directly from farmers about how they were handling the animals and what best practices were for small American producers running family farms that sold directly to the consumer.

Animal Diet — What the Animals Eat

The first thing most people want to know about the meat they purchase is what those animals ate while on the farm. Several different things could be happening here: good & bad. Different animals eat different things, so it’s not always the same. For instance, what cattle can survive on may not be appropriate for chickens or pigs. Overall, you’ll want to consider animal feed, whether they were grass-fed, pasture-raised, or in confinement. Are they grass-fed, grass-finished, or mostly grain-fed? To make this simple, we’ve focused our efforts below on beef, chicken, & pork.

Beef Cattle–Grass-Fed, Grass-Finished, Grain-Fed, etc.

Grass-fed beef has roughly 62% less total fat and 65% less saturated fat compared to grain-fed beef. It also contains higher concentrations of omega-3 fatty acids, the same family of fats found in salmon and flaxseed that support heart and brain health. Grain-fed beef, by comparison, is higher in omega-6 fatty acids, which most people already get plenty of from processed foods and cooking oils. Therefore, Grass-fed beef is superior and part of a healthy diet. But to get the benefits, you need to make sure you’re getting the real deal. Labels can be confusing, so we broke this down to make it easier to understand what you are getting.

• Grass-Fed: This means the cattle ate grass and forage for at least part of their lives (typically after weaning from milk). However, this label does not guarantee an exclusive grass diet, especially when you see it in the grocery store. Feedlots can be used constantly. Many “grass-fed” cattle are later switched to grain (corn, soy, etc.) for the last 90–180 days in a feedlot to fatten them faster. This is often called grass-fed, grain-finished. It gets confusing because “grass-fed” is no longer a legal term; it can basically mean anything. The USDA used to define it, but they dropped this legal standard in 2016. Since then, farmers have been able to create their own definitions for this term. Does it mean 100% grassfed, 80% grassfed, 50% grassfed, or 30% grassfed? Technically, any of it is “grass-fed.” So what are you really buying in the grocery store? No one really knows. To get answers, we had to email every producer to get more specifics. Unless specifically sold otherwise, USDA Organic beef is typically considered “grass-fed” because producers can grain-finish with organic grain feed.
• Grass-finished (aka 100% Grassfed): This means the cattle ate only grass, hay, forage, and similar plant material for their entire lives after weaning. In other words, they were not given grain at any point in their lives. These animals typically stay on pasture (or receive stored forage like hay) until slaughter. Growth is slower in this type of cattle feeding, which makes the meat cost more. It often takes 24–32 months vs. 14–18 months for grain-finished cattle. This is the gold standard for raising cattle and getting the benefit of true “grass-fed” beef. Unfortunately, this term does not have a legal definition either, so technically, you’ll have to trust the farmer who says it. Only certifications like American Grassfed Association (AGA) mandate 100% grass-fed cattle. Many USDA Organic beef cattle operations are also 100% Grass-fed, but they don’t necessarily have to be, so it’s a good idea to ask your USDA organic producer.
• Conventional Grain-Finished (Standard US Production): These animals are typically grass-fed at the beginning of their lives, then switched to feedlots and given a grain-fed diet consisting of corn, soy, wheat, and other additives in animal feed. In the finishing stage, they typically eat a high-energy ration of 80-85% grain (mostly corn, plus barley, wheat, or distillers’ grains from ethanol), 10-15% forage, hay & silage, plus protein meals, vitamins, and minerals. Local byproducts can also be used, like potato waste, sugar beets, and even candy, depending on the region and what is available locally. But because cattle eat “grass” for part of their lives, they are sometimes called “grass-fed” in grocery stores or at restaurants. 

Broiler Chicken Feeding System–Conventional vs. Organic vs. Pasture-Raised

Broiler chickens, also known as “meat birds,” are raised to grow rapidly from day-old chicks to adulthood in 5-8 weeks, ready for slaughter. They are fed differently than “layers,” which are egg-laying hens because their nutritional needs differ. Conventional farmers focus on rapid weight gain, while small-scale operations focus more on organic or pasture-raised systems and animal welfare issues. However, it’s also important to know that “pasture-raised” is a similar term to “grass-fed,” whereas it’s possible to have a “pasture-raised” chicken that is not raised as perfectly as you would find with AGA-certified birds.

• Conventional Feeding: Broiler chickens are kept indoors in large coops and fed exclusively formulated commercial feed as much as they desire. Their feed consists of about 50-67% corn, 44-48% soybean meal, soybean oil, vegetable oil, poultry fat, calcium carbonate or oyster shell, Dicalcium phosphate or monocalcium phosphate, and salt. They also add a synthetic amino acid supplement and additional vitamins and minerals. Other common additives can include choline chloride, enzymes, pellet binders, animal byproducts like poultry meal, meat and bone meal, or fish meal. Historically, antibiotic growth promoters have also been used in animal feed. These environmental conditions they find themselves in make it more likely for them to get sick, so medical intervention is constantly needed and routinely given. 
• USDA Organic Feed: Organic broiler chickens are fed USDA Organic chicken feed, which is grown without synthetic pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, or sewage sludge. The feed is also free from genetically modified organisms (GMOs), antibiotics, hormones, growth promoters, or synthetic drugs. No animal by-products are allowed, except for limited allowances of fish meals. Their feed typically consists of 50-70% organic corn, wheat, barley, oats, or a combination thereof, then organic soybean meal for protein. Additional proteins can include peas, sunflower meal, canola meal, potato protein, flaxseed, alfalfa meal, or fish meal. Organic oils such as soy, sunflower, or flax provide essential fatty acids. Then they get limestone and salt for minerals. Additional natural supplements may include kelp, yeast cultures, probiotics, enzymes, and vitamin/mineral premixes.
• Pasture-Raised: Pasture-raised chickens are raised with continuous outdoor access in environments that allow them to express their natural foraging behaviors. Because “pasture-raised” is not a legally defined or regulated term under USDA standards, the label is frequently misused. Some companies apply it loosely to birds that receive only limited outdoor access, live in fixed housing, or spend the majority of their lives indoors. This lack of enforceable standards means the term can be more marketing language than meaningful production practice. As a result, the strongest assurance comes from verifying practices directly with the producer: ask how much of the birds’ lives are actually spent on pasture, whether they use mobile coops that are regularly moved, what the birds forage on, and what supplemental feed is provided. Transparent farms will readily share these details. In current industry usage among producers who take the term seriously, birds labeled pasture-raised typically spend at least 51 percent of their lives on pasture in mobile coops with continuous outdoor access. While on pasture they actively forage grasses, clover, forbs, weeds, insects, worms, seeds, and grit. That foraging remains supplemental—these birds still require a formulated feed ration, most often non-GMO and sometimes certified organic. Non-GMO chicken feed is made from ingredients (primarily corn and soy) that have not been genetically modified. It sits between conventional and fully organic feed in standards, cost, and restrictions. Some producers further offer corn-free or soy-free diets using alternative proteins such as peas, sunflower meal, canola meal, potato protein, flaxseed, alfalfa meal, or fish meal. Formulations vary by farm, so it’s worth confirming the specific supplemental feed with the producer. Mamavation has added several AGA-certified farms to the “cut out the middleman” best list so you can purchase directly from them with confidence.

Pigs–Conventional vs. Pasture-Raised with Supplemental Feed

• Conventional Feed Diet: Conventionally raised pig feed includes 50-70% corn or other cereal grains such as sorghum, wheat, or barley, 15-40% soybean meal, animal fat, vegetable oil, or other fats, by-products like distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS from ethanol production), wheat middlings, bakery waste, or other cost-effective ingredients. Additional proteins can include fish meal, blood meal, plasma, dried whey, or meat and bone meal. Mineral sources include limestone, monocalcium or dicalcium phosphate, and salt. Additional feed ingredients include synthetic amino acids, vitamins, trace mineral premixes, and other additives like enzymes, probiotics, acidifiers, antibiotics, growth promoters, or ractopamine for lean growth.
• Pasture-Raised Diet: Pasture-raised pigs have pasture and forage as the foundation of their nutrition throughout their lifetime. These pigs have continuous access to forage. They root, graze, and forage naturally on grasses, legumes (clover), forbs, browse, and other available vegetation. However, it’s important to understand this is not enough nutrition for pigs. They will need additional supplemental animal feed. The supplemental feeds may include non-GMO grains, protein sources, or mixed rations that complement pasture intake.
• Corn-Free, Soy-Free Supplemental Animal Feed: This type of animal feed replaces corn and soybean meal with other grains, legumes, seed meals, and animal proteins. Common caloric sources include sorghum, oats, barley, wheat, and other small grains. Protein sources can include field peas or other pulse crops, sunflower meal, peanut meal, fish meal, meat and bone meal where allowed, and alfalfa meal. Other typical ingredients include sunflower oil, flax, mineral and vitamin premixes, amino acid supplements, kelp, diatomaceous earth, yeast cultures, and other natural additives. Sometimes they add additional flax or other seeds for a higher fatty acid profile.

Pasture Management: CAFO Vs. Pasture-Raised

The living conditions of the animals are important. This tells you how much stress and comfort they had while they were alive, which directly impacts the meat you feed your family at home. Here, we’ll explain the main differences between what is out there. Please note that each farm is slightly different in how they manage their farm, but there are some main categories we can slot them in.

Basic Pasture Management Types

• Pasture-Raised: These animals spend a significant portion of their lives outdoors on actual pasture. This includes vegetated land with grass and plants, plus room to roam. This label has more to do with the animal’s living conditions and how much access it has to the outdoors than its diet. These conditions are far superior and help keep them from getting sick like other conventional livestock. Therefore, medical intervention is not needed as often. Medication management varies from farm to farm. In fact, some farms manage their livestock without needing any type of medicines other than what they would have used hundreds of years ago. However, the USDA does not tightly regulate this labeling term. Producers must substantiate the claim to the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), and recent guidelines encourage better documentation and third-party certification. Without verification, “pasture-raised” can range from cattle & other livestock that truly live on open grassland most of their lives to those with only limited outdoor access. That is why it’s best to buy from small family farms within the United States. In the United States, farmers live and die by their reputation. You’ll not be able to get a glimpse of that from farms outside the United States in the same way. Transparency will be easier to gauge with a simple search. 
• Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO) aka “Factory Farm”: This is an official term by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for a large-scale industrial livestock facility. Animals are confined and fed for 45 days or more in any 12-month period and kept in a confined area without growing vegetation. These cattle spend most of their time confined in feedlots, barns, or small pens, and manure pollutants are discharged into waterways.
  • Large CAFO:1,000 or more cattle
  • Medium CAFO: Between 300–999 cattle 
  • Small CAFO: Less than 300 cattle
• Conventional Ranch Raised: This is what you would tend to see from most ranches that are not trying to sell themselves as “grass-finished” or “100% grass-fed.” But they can technically still use the “grass-fed” label if they wanted because their animals are indeed touching grass or hay. These small family farms use modern methods to raise their cattle. Most cattle get early pasture time, then are grain-fed in a feedlot later in the day. Depending on the farm and where it’s located, they may not have access to pasture grass.

Pasture-Raised vs. Organic — Which is Better? You Decide

This idea is a bit controversial, but I’ll try to explain it as best I can so you can get a good idea of what is happening here from the perspective of a city dweller. USDA Organic standards and certifications are expensive and very time-consuming to upkeep. Ask any USDA Organic farmer. It’s basically a farming plan that is certified by the USDA and audited annually. Now, my mother’s side of the family comes from farming in the Midwest, and they’re the most honest, hardworking, kind, independent, salt-of-the-earth people I’ve ever met. They would give you the shirt off their back to help you, but if you tell them what to do, think again. They do not want to be told what to do by anyone, especially the Federal government. This is the rub with the USDA Organic standards. Putting proud farm folk into the path of the Federal government telling them what to do with their private property is like having a bunch of cats and expecting to herd them in a straight line. It’s not going to happen as planned. So if you want to purchase from small family farms, you’ll need to understand that right off the bat. This will be about trust and relationships.

Most of the small family farms we ran across were not USDA Organic. You’ll notice that below, right away, when you see what we are recommending. My thoughts are it’s likely because (1) it’s too expensive and time-consuming and (2) they don’t like to be told what to do and constantly monitored by the Feds. Whether you like that or not, if you want to get into the habit of avoiding “Big Meat,” you’ll need to get over that part. Most small family farms producing livestock are not USDA organic. But plenty of American Grassfed Association (AGA) Certified farms are available.

Plenty of small family farms market their farms “beyond organic” or “similar to organic,” and what they are trying to communicate in simple terms is how they manage their pasture, how they avoid antibiotics & hormones, and what their animals eat. Mamavation has no problem with this at all. Sure, it’s nice to have standards and people verifying those standards, but in the culture of small family farms, that’s not what you are going to get most of the time. But if you really want USDA Organic, we’ve identified those farms for you down below.

Medications

Use of Antibiotics & Hormones

The more the cattle weighs at slaughter, the more they can be sold for. Therefore, conventional ranchers have used several types of growth-promoting technology over the years to increase weight. These growth-promoting technologies can be categorized as hormones or antibiotics.

• Antibiotics: For beef cattle and broiler chickens, these therapeutics are used to treat illness or, sometimes, for metaphylactic & preventive care in high-density settings. However, since 2017, antibiotics must be given under veterinarian supervision under new FDA rules for beef, chicken, & pork.
• Ionophores (e.g., monensin/Rumensin): These therapeutics are also classified as antibiotics and are used to improve feed efficiency and reduce acidosis for beef cattle, broiler chickens, & pigs.
• Steroid hormonal implants: These are small pellets placed under the skin of the ear that slowly release hormones to increase weight gain and improve feed efficiency. No steroid hormone implants are approved for growth purposes in dairy cows, veal calves, pigs, or poultry. This is just for cattle meant for beef.
  • Natural hormones:  Estradiol (or estradiol benzoate), progesterone, or testosterone (or testosterone propionate).
  • Synthetic hormones: Trenbolone acetate (TBA), which is a potent androgen, or Zeranol, which is an estrogen-like compound derived from a fungus.
• Beta-agonists: These are metabolic modifiers fed in the final weeks of finishing for beef cattle to increase muscle growth and carcass leanness. This tricks their body into shifting nutrients from fat to muscle.
• Melengestrol acetate (MGA): A synthetic progestin given to feedlot heifers to suppress heat, which improves weight gain and feed efficiency.

The use of all hormones and antibiotics that are listed above is prohibited by American Grassfed Association (AGA) Certified cattle or USDA Organic cattle. Many small family producers that focus on grass-finished beef also avoid these practices.

Deworming & Parasite Control

Deworming and parasite control are handled a bit differently by conventional ranchers vs. ranchers in the American Grassfed Association (AGA) certified program or USDA Organic programs. Conventional ranchers practice calendar-based routine deworming. This would incorporate a wide range of synthetic dewormers like ivermectin, moxidectin, fenbendazole, combinations, pour-ons, injectables, & feed additives. Insecticides could also be used to control flies and lice.

For AGA or USDA organic producers, deworming and parasite control focus more on creating a grazing management system as part of the certification plan that provides a healthier environment for the cattle, broiler chickens, and pigs. The hope is that these synthetic dewormers will not need to be used because the livestock will not be in an environment where worms are as common. However, when preventive measures fail, they may use selective treatments for emergencies, but Ivermectin is prohibited. This is part of the “farming plan” they follow for certification. As for broiler chickens, their shorter lifespan and access to pasture make worms less of a problem, and many natural remedies are available for routine use, such as garlic, food-grade diatomaceous earth, pumpkin seeds, and other herbal blends added to the feed, or apple cider vinegar in water. For pigs, some of the same natural methods can be used as with broiler chickens, including wormwood and additional herbal medicines. However, if stronger medications are needed, they would be ineligible for the program and would no longer be certified.

Small producers have various ways of handling their cattle, broiler chickens & pigs; however, we have noticed that small family farms producing grass-finished beef and pasture-raised chickens are less likely to use conventional deworming and parasite control and may adopt a grazing management system similar to what the AGA requires with more natural remedies.

Vaccines & MRNA Technology

Animals raised on the farm can get very sick and need medical intervention. Therefore, routine vaccinations, deworming, and parasite control are common in conventional cattle raising. Most cattle producers, including USDA organic or AGA Certified, vaccinate animals against common diseases such as bovine respiratory disease complex, BVD, IBR, BRSV, blackleg, etc. Broiler chickens are not mandated to receive vaccinations, but if they do, they would receive vaccinations for coccidiosis, Marek’s disease, Newcastle disease, and a few others. Outdoor pasture-raised pigs are more susceptible to disease from exposure to wildlife, so their vaccinations may be more important. USDA Organic & AGA certified producers are known to be more selective about the types of vaccinations they use on their cattle, broiler chickens, & pigs, but they can use the same number as any other farm.

We ran across many claims by small family ranchers that they do not use mRNA vaccines. The truth is no mRNA vaccines are currently licensed or approved for use in beef cattle or dairy cows in the United States. However, mRNA trials are happening in the United States (for BVD, bovine coronavirus, & foot-and-mouth disease) in labs and universities, but those cattle would not be able to be sold for beef afterward because they are experimental. Therefore, the “No mRNA” claims for beef cattle are like saying “salt is gluten-free.” It doesn’t really mean anything.

This is different for pigs, though. One RNA-based vaccine (Sequivity) is licensed for swine (pigs) against influenza strains. But again, this is not a practice for cattle yet. Claims that cattle are routinely given mRNA vaccines (sometimes linked to COVID-19 vaccines or “mandates”) have been repeatedly debunked as false.

Not all small family farms will decide to vaccinate their animals. Those practices are up to each farm and how they want to run their operation. If you are curious which ones don’t, click through our links; they proudly share those details on their websites.

Mamavation’s Investigation on Meat Box Delivery Companies

Not Our Favorite Meat Box Delivery Companies

This category includes conventional beef, chicken & pork meat box delivery companies. Some meat may be from small ranches that are grass-fed but not grass-finished, and we are also concerned about potential use of antibiotics and hormones. However, these brands don’t make their animal care part of their primary story, so it’s hard to tell what is happening here. Some didn’t answer our emails and don’t have public information to tell this story, so we had to assume the worst. There is likely plenty of CAFO meat in this section.

• Backyard Butchers
• Campo Grande (pork)
• Chicago Steak Company
• DeBragga New York’s Butcher
• Farm Foods
• Freedom Farms
• Harry & David Fine Meats
• Mahogany Smoked Meats
• Mr. Steak
• Omaha Steaks
• Pat LaFreida Home Delivery
• Rastelli’s
• Snake River Farms

Better Meat Box Delivery Companies

This category is full of grass-fed meat boxes. It may be unclear how “grass-fed” the animals are, or they may have most of their beef coming from outside the United States. We don’t think that is bad, but we prefer to support small American farmers in our investigation, so we’ve marked which ones are from outside the United States. We’ve also included companies that have been acquired by large corporations (i.e., “Big Meat”), which kinda defeats the idea of getting away from “Big Meat.” In other words, part of this category is where we just weren’t sure after all our communication and review of their online materials. Contact us if we are wrong, and we will be happy to move you.

• Butcherbox (Mostly Australian beef providing 100% grass-finished beef, but Midwest farmers provide grass-fed, grain-finished beef)
• Butcher Crowd (Australian company. 100% Grassfed Beef, Pasture-Raised Chicken, 100% Grassfed Lamb, Pasture-Raised Pork, & Seafood)
• Crowd Cow (Products vary. Pay close attention to descriptions on site)
• Good Chop (Products vary. Pay close attention to descriptions on site)
• Good Ranchers (Products vary. Pay close attention to descriptions on site)
• Market House (non-responsive, but offerings seem to vary by product, with some 100% grass-fed or wild-caught, and others grass-fed, grain-finished)
• Pasturebird (acquired by Perdue Farms in 2019)
• Porter Road (Grass-fed, Grain Finished)
• Sunday Farms (Canada)

Best Meat Box Delivery Companies

This category includes grass-finished (100% grass-fed) meat box delivery brands sourcing from American farmers. Chicken is either pasture-raised or organic. No hormones or antibiotics are ever used on animals, and if they are, those animals are removed from the herd. (In some instances, they are sold, but they make that clear on the site.) Some of the supply may come from outside the United States, but the vast majority will be from American small family farms. For inputs like chicken feed, assume organic and non-GMO feed comes from outside the United States because there isn’t enough USDA organic farmland to feed all animals.

100% Grassfed Meat Box Delivery Companies (more than one farm sourcing box)

• 99 Counties (100% Grass-fed Beef, 100% Grass-fed Bison, Organic Pasture-Raised Chicken, Pasture-Raised Pork, 100% Grass-fed Lamb, 100% Grass-fed Goat, & Seafood)
• Alderspring Ranch Provisions (USDA Organic Grass-fed Beef, Pasture-Raised & Organic Pork, Organic Beefsticks, Tallow Skincare, Pasture-Raised Dairy, & Seafood )
• David’s Pasture (100% Grass-fed Beef, Pasture-Raised Chicken, Pasture-Raised Pork, Pasture-Raised Turkey, Bones & Organ Meat, Pasture-Raised Eggs, Local Raw Honey, & Coffee)
• Dutch Meadows (100% Grass-fed Beef, Corn & Soy Free Pasture-Raised Chicken, Corn & Soy Free Pasture-Raised Pork, Grass-fed Raw Milk, Soy-Free Pasture-Raised Turkey, Corn & Soy Free Pasture-Raised Eggs, Raw Milk Cheese, Butter & Cream, Local Raw Honey, Sourdough Bakery, & Lacto Fermented Veggies)
• Eat More Lamb (AGA Certified)(100% Grass-fed Lamb Sausage & Bacon)
• FoxHollow Farm (AGA Certified & Biodynamic) (100% Grass-fed Beef, 100% Grass-fed Bison, Pasture-Raised Chicken, Heritage Pork, & 100% Grass-fed Lamb)
• Force of Nature (AGA Certified Farms)(100% Grass-fed Beef, 100% Grass-fed Bison, Pasture-Raised Chicken, 100% Grass-fed Venison, & 100% Grass-fed Elk)
• Grass Roots Farmers Co-op (100% Grass-fed Beef, Pasture-Raised Chicken, Pasture-Raised Turkey, & 100% Grass-fed Lamb)(Use discount code “MAMAVATION” for 10% off your first purchase)
• Maui Nui Venison (100% wild-caught venison) (Use code “LEAHS” for 15% off products!)
• Millers Bio Farm (Amish Farmers, 100% Grass-fed Beef, Pasture-Raised Chickens, Woodland Corn & Soy Free Pork, 100% Grass-fed A2/A2 Dairy, 100% Grass-fed Raw Dairy, Pastured Corn & Soy Free Eggs, 100% Grass-fed Raw Water Buffalo Dairy, 100% Grass-fed A2/A2 Cheese, Pasture-Rasied Corn & Soy Free Turkey, Fat, Bones, & Organs, Raw Honey, Salami, Kombucha & Fermented Drinks, Baked Goods, & Sourdough Bread)
• Moink Box (100% Grass-fed Beef, Pasture-Raised Chicken, Pasture-Raised Turkeys, Pasture-Raised Pork, 100% Grass-fed Lamb, & Seafood)
• Northstar Bison (Low Histamine Meats/Seafood, 100% Grass-fed Bison, 100% Grass-fed Beef, 100% Grass-fed Elk, 100% Grass-fed Lamb, 100% Grass-fed Goat, Corn-free Soy-free Pasture-raised Chicken, Corn-free Soy-free Pasture-raised Pork, Pasture-Raised Turkey, Duck & Quail)
• Nourish Food Club (100% Grass-fed Beef, Corn & Soy Free Pasture-Raised Chicken, Corn & Soy Free Pasture-Raised Eggs, 100% Grass-Fed Lamb, 100% Pasture-Raised Turkey, Sourdough Bread, Grass-Fed Raw Cheese, Grass-Fed Raw Dairy, & Bone Broth)
• Perennial Pastures (100% Grass-Fed Beef, A2 Raw Milk Delivery Service in Southern California, & Soy-Free Corn-Free Pasture-Raised Eggs)
• Primal Pastures (100% Grass-fed Beef, Pasture-Raised Corn Free Soy Free Chickens, Pasture-Raised Corn Free Soy Free Pork, Pasture-Raised Lamb, Seafood, Raw Honey, & Coffee)
• Seven Sons Farms (100% Grass-fed Beef, Pastured Pork, Pasture-Raised Chicken, 100% Grass-fed Lamb, 100% Grass-fed Bison, Grass-fed Dairy, Frozen Organic Fruits & Veggies)
• Starwalker Organic Farms(USDA Organic & Regenerative Organic Certified Beef, USDA Organic Pasture-Raised Chicken, USDA Organic Pasture-Raised Pork, USDA Organic beef jerky, & USDA Organic Meat Sticks)(Use discount code “MAMAVATION” for 10% off products for first-time customers!)
• The Honest Bison (Grass-fed Bison, 100% Grass-fed Beef, 100% Grass-fed Elk, Grassfed Venison, Organic Pastured Chicken, & 100% Grass-fed Lamb)
• TruBeef Organic (USDA Organic beef & lamb)
• Walden Meat (100% Grass-fed Beef, Pasture-Raised Chicken, Pasture-Raised Pork, Pasture-Raised Lamb, & Seafood)
• Wild Idea Buffalo (USDA Organic, Regenerative Organic Certified)(100% Grass-fed Bison)
• Wild Pastures (100% Grass-fed Beef, Pasture-Raised Chicken, Pastured Pork, & Seafood)(Deals are based on what is local to your area. Use our link and you will get $25 off your first 4 boxes)
• White Oaks Pastures (AGA Certified)(100% Grass-fed Beef, Pasture-Raised Chicken, Pastured Pork, Grass-fed Lamb, Pastured Rabbit, Seafood, & Artisan Goods)(Get $20 off any order over $150. One use per customer. Use “MAMAVATION” at checkout or click on the link for it to be automatically applied.)
• US Wellness Meats(100% Grass-fed Beef, 100% Grass-fed Lamb, Pasture-Raised Chicken, Pasture-Raised Duck, Pasture-Raised Turkey, 100% Grass-fed Bison, 100% Grass-fed Elk, 100% Grass-fed Elk, Pasture-Raised Pork, Beef Broth, & Organ Meats) (Use discount code “FRESH15” for 15% off products for a first-time customer) 

Cut Out the Middleman — 100% Grassfed & Pasture-Raised Chicken/Pork Ranches Operating Direct to Consumer Online

• Blackberry Ridge Farms (AGA Certified)(100% Grassfed Beef)
• Brenneman Farms (100% Grassfed Beef, Pasture-Raised Chickens, Pasture-Raised Pork, & Pasture-Raised Eggs)
• Cairncrest Farms (100% Grassfed Beef, Pasture-Raised Organic Chicken, Grassfed Lamb, & Pastured Pork)
• Crawleys Country Beef (AGA Certified)(100% Grassfed Beef, Pasture-Raised Chicken, & Pasture-Raised Pork)
• Flying A Farms (100% Grassfed Beef, Pasture-Raised Chicken, & Pasture-Raised Pork)
• Flying B Bar Ranch (AGA Certified) (100% Grassfed Beef, Pasture-Raised Chicken, Heritage Pork, 100% Grassfed Lamb, & Tallow)
• FoxHollow Farm (AGA Certified & Biodynamic) (100% Grass-fed Beef, 100% Grass-fed Bison, Pasture-Raised Chicken, Heritage Pork, & 100% Grass-fed Lamb)
• Grandview Beef (AGA Certified) (100% Grass-fed Beefsticks)
• Hickory Nut Gap Farms (100% Grass-fed Beef, 100% Grass-fed Beef Hotdogs, Pasture-Raised Heritage Pork)
• KeepHills Farms (100% Grass-fed Beef, Pasture-Raised Chickens, & Pasture-Raised Pork)
• Lick Skillet Farm (100% Grass-fed Beef, Pasture-Raised Chickens, 100% Grass-fed Lamb, & Pasture-Raised Pork)
• Lockhart Cattle Company (AGA Certified)(100% Grass-fed Beef)
• Maddox Family Farms (100% Grass-fed Beef, 100% Grass-fed Lamb, Pasture-Raised Chicken, Pasture-Raised No Corn No Soy Pork, 100% Grass-fed Beef Jerky, Raw Honey, Bones & Broth)
• Mariposa Ranch (100% Grass-fed Beef, West Coast California Ranch)
• Metzer Farms (Farm & Hatchery in Tennessee & California)(Pasture-Raised Chickens, Pasture-Raised Ducks, Pasture-Raised Turkeys, Pasture-Raised Geese, Guinea Fowls, Duck Eggs)
• Millers Bio Farm (Amish Farmer, 100% Grass-fed Beef, Pasture-Raised Chickens, Woodland Corn & Soy Free Pork, 100% Grass-fed A2/A2 Dairy, 100% Grass-fed Raw Dairy, Pastured Corn & Soy Free Eggs, 100% Grass-fed Raw Water Buffalo Dairy, 100% Grass-fed A2/A2 Cheese, Pasture-Rasied Corn & Soy Free Turkey, Fat, Bones, & Organs, Raw Honey, Salami, Kombucha & Fermented Drinks, Baked Goods, & Sourdough Bread)
• Parker Pastures (100% Grass-fed Beef & Pasture-Raised Chicken)(Get $25 off your first order of $150 or more by using discount code “LEAH”)
• Rebel Pastures (100% Grass-fed Beef, Pasture-Raised Chicken, Pasture-Raised Pork, 100% Grass-fed Lamb, 100% Grass-fed Bison, & Seafood)
• Rocking M Ranch (AGA Certified)(100% Grass-fed Beef & Raw Honey)
• Sonny’s Farm (100% Grass-fed Beef, Pasture-Raised Corn-Free Soy-Free Chicken, & Pasture-Raised Corn-Free Soy-Free Pork)
• Stony Mountain Ranch (100% Grass-fed Piedmontese Beef, Pasture-Raised Pork, Pasture-Raised Chickens, & Sausages)
• Summerfield Farms (AGA Certified) (100% Grass-fed Beef)
• Waseda Farms  (100% Grass-fed Beef, Organic Beef, Organic Chicken, Organic Turkey, & Pork)
• Whitehurst Farms (100% Grass-fed Beef, Pasture-Raised Chicken, Pasture-Raised Pork, Pasture-Raised Turkey, 100% Grass-fed Lamb, & Pasture-Raised Eggs)
• White Oaks Pastures (AGA Certified)(100% Grass-fed Beef, Pasture-Raised Chicken, Pastured Pork, Grass-fed Lamb, Pastured Rabbit, Seafood, & Artisan Goods)(Get $20 off any order over $150. One use per customer. Use “MAMAVATION” at checkout or click on the link for it to be automatically applied.)

The post Best Grass-Fed Meat Box Delivery Companies for Beef, Chicken, & Pork appeared first on MAMAVATION.

Disclosure: This consumer study is released in partnership with Environmental Health News. Scientific reviews were performed by (1) Terrence Collins, Teresa Heinz Professor of Green Chemistry & Director of the Institute for Green Sciences at Carnegie Mellon University, (2) Linda S. Birnbaum, Scientist Emeritus and Former Director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and National Toxicology Program & Adjunct Professor at Duke University, North Carolina University, & Yale University, (3) Pete Myers, Chief Scientist at Environmental Health Sciences, Adjunct Professor of Chemistry at Carnegie Mellon University, and Co-Author of Our Stolen Future, & (4) Scott Belcher, Associate Professor with the Center for Environmental & Health Effects of PFAS at North Carolina State University. This post was medically reviewed by Sondra Strand, RN, BSN, PHN. Donations were provided by Environmental Health News and Mamavation community members. Mamavation has only “spot-checked” the industry and thus we cannot make predictions about brands and products that we have not tested. Products and manufacturing aides can change without notice so buyer beware. This post contains affiliate links, with some to Amazon, which means Mamavation will receive a portion of those sales and we will use that to pay ourselves back for the testing. You can also give a tax-deductible donation to our consumer studies here through Environmental Health Sciences. Click “yes” when asked if the gift is in honor of someone and type “Mamavation.” Thank you!  

Mamavation’s Lab Finds Indications of PFAS “Forever Chemicals” Inside Butter Wrappers

Mamavation’s laboratory found indications of PFAS “forever chemicals” inside popular butter wrappers after sending butter wrappers off to our EPA-certified lab. PFAS “forever chemicals” are per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances used for many decades as stain-resistant, oil-resistant, grease-resistant, & water-resistant chemicals in commerce. PFAS is found in many areas of our lives with some examples being makeup, drinking water, & dental floss. These chemicals are linked to serious health effects. Because they are so toxic, Mamavation has commissioned our own consumer studies on indications of PFAS in order to make consumer recommendations for butter brands that have PFAS-free grease-resistant wrappers. 

For this consumer study, [Original study in 2023] Mamavation sent 32 different butter wrappers from 22 brands off to an EPA-certified laboratory looking for indications of toxic PFAS “forever chemicals.”  

Here’s what our EPA-certified laboratory found inside the food wrappers [in 2023]:

• Sixteen of the 32 wrappers our EPA-certified laboratory tested (50%) had indications of toxic PFAS “forever chemicals.” 
• Only 8 brands out of 22 had indications of PFAS in their butter wrappers; 22 (63%) did not. 
• Ranges of total fluorine reported by the lab varied from 11 to 112 parts per million (ppm).
• [UPDATE 2026: Mamavation has been testing butter wrappers since 2023 and monitoring changes. The most recent organic fluorine testing has replaced any detections we have received in the past. Thus, we can say there has been some major improvement in the butter aisle.]

Linda S. Birnbaum, Scientist Emeritus and Former Director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and National Toxicology Program & Adjunct Professor at Duke University, North Carolina University, & Yale University, said,  “It’s disappointing to see indications of PFAS in butter wrappers. In order to protect the public, PFAS should not be present in food packaging like butter wrappers. This is an important issue to tackle in the future in order to protect pregnant women and children from the potential pitfalls of PFAS. I highly recommend the industry fix this problem as soon as possible.”

Human Health Impacts of PFAS “Forever Chemicals”

PFAS “forever chemicals” are problematic to human health and the environment. They are considered ubiquitous, persistent, and toxic. Many of these chemicals can last for years or decades in our bodies. Therefore, it’s imperative to reduce the amount of PFAS you are exposed to from food like butter, water, and consumer products. 

PFAS like PFOA and PFOS have been linked to many health risks and bad health outcomes. When considering food packaging you are exposed to daily or even often, it’s important to be mindful of the health impacts of PFAS exposure:

• Reduction in immunity
• Reduced vaccination response
• Increased risk of allergies & asthma in young children
• Affected growth, learning, and behavior of infants and older children
• Increase to high cholesterol levels
• Metabolic diseases like obesity & diabetes
• Cardiovascular disease
• Lowered a woman’s chance of getting pregnant
• Lowered male fertility
• Increased risk of kidney & testicular cancers
• Causes endocrine disruption
• Disrupted normal thyroid function

It’s also very clear based on biomonitoring evidence from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) that PFAS are in essentially all Americans. Therefore, these impacts are spread nationwide. However, it’s important to avoid PFAS as much as possible because of the potential health and environmental impacts. 

Can PFAS get into your Butter From the Packaging?

The test we use burns the butter wrappers and the gas they emit is analyzed to allow for a determination of total PFAS. If PFAS “forever chemicals” are in butter wrappers, can these chemicals get into your butter? The short answer is that prudence requires that we assume they can and it is chemically reasonable to assume they do. Tests were also done on toxic fast food wrappers, which shows the presence of fluorinated chemicals.

There’s also quite a diversity in butter food packaging. Most of the options we found were either based on aluminum or wood cellulose with or without a coating. What is inside that coating? We don’t know. We took a look at several different butter wrapper manufacturers online to get a glimpse of the options available to butter brands.

• Brands like Alstrom claim to have fluoro-free butter wrappers made from a proprietary process that “achieves a 100% cellulose product with no coating, which is certified by OK Compost Home and Industrial (EN13432).”
• Another brand Bomarko offers “paper/foil laminated products as well as private labeled butter and margarine packaging in both grease-proof and waxed structures as well as paper/foil laminated structures for portioned single serve reddies, chips, continentals, quarter-pound sticks, and pound blocks.” This manufacturer makes no mention of using fluoro-free paper.
• We also found Safepack that makes aluminum foil along with special polymers to protect butter from chemical spoilage and rancidity caused by oxygen, light, heat, & moisture. This brand also doesn’t mention any fluoro-free products.
• And finally, Quantum Packaging reported quite an array of different aluminum options like
  • aluminum-wax-paper,
  • aluminum-paraffin-paper,
  • aluminum-polyethylene-paper,  or
  • aluminum-polyethylene-paper-polyethylene.

Terrence Collins, Teresa Heinz Professor of Green Chemistry & Director of the Institute for Green Sciences at Carnegie Mellon University explains the relevance to butter wrappers in more detail. 

“The US Food and Drug Administration has known for decades that PFAS compounds in food wraps can migrate into our food. The general notion that chemicals, like most of the PFAS family, that can move around in the environment, that bioconcentrate in living things, and that Nature cannot easily destroy will find a way to cause health or environmental trouble because the chemistry of the ecosphere is so complex. This was clearly articulated over two decades ago. Yet here we are in 2023 with Mamavation being able to easily find that the everyday food product, butter, is still being put in close contact with PFAS contaminated wraps by many of the suppliers Mamavation tested. Those 8 out of 22 butter brands still using PFAS found by Mamavation in their wraps should come to terms with the serious PFAS health threats, plainly listed above by Mamavation, and get rid of PFAS compounds altogether in every aspect of their business.  I also recommend that butter companies should strive to be able to label their products as “PFAS-Free” when they have done the appropriate homework.” As a more general comment, the only effective way to deal with the expanding environment, human contamination, and deadly toxic issues is to simply stop making most if not all PFAS compounds.” 

Will PFAS “Forever Chemicals” Disrupt The Dairy Industry? — The Hangover of Biosolids.

Finding PFAS in butter wrappers is going to be an easy fix for a brand compared to PFAS inside the dairy product itself. PFAS “forever chemicals” are a hot topic of concern among farmers in general. This is because legacy farming practices are now bankrupting farms decades later.

A farming practice of spreading PFAS-contaminated sewage sludge (“biosolids”) on the land as fertilizer is coming back to bite farmers. Biosolids from sewage treatment contain various types of PFAS “forever chemicals”. The chemicals and microbes in our waste products encounter massive mixed bacterial colonies called “activated sludge” when they reach the treatment plants. The bacteria consume the microbes and chemicals to grow into what is meant to be “safe” organic matter that can deliver high-quality fertilizer.

But the logic breaks down when the activated sludge cannot decompose toxic chemicals—many chemicals that are ecotoxic or a threat to our health, such as PFAS compounds, contaminate the sludge and when its spread on farmland ends up contaminating our food supply. Persistent chemicals are such because Nature cannot break them down fast enough or at all. The sludge bacteria use the same (or similar) enzymes to decompose sewerage compounds that are found across much of aerobic life, including inside humans. 

The chemicals often get past our own decomposing enzymes to find their way into our number one and two waste products. At the sewage plants, not only is the rapidly growing activated sludge and future “potential” fertilizer contaminated, but so is the water that is released after treatment from the plants into rivers, lakes, and oceans.

Persistent and forever chemicals that the chemical enterprise has developed progressively over the last century have overwhelmed our technologies for cleaning wastewater. These “forever chemicals” can come from many industries like printing presses or chrome plating facilities, lint from waterproof clothing, waterproof makeup, dental floss, soft contact lenses, Teflon pans, etc.

One farmer by the name of Fred Stone in 2016 found that PFAS chemicals were contaminating his farmland from sewage plant fertilizer the hard way after voluntarily testing his dairy milk and finding PFAS in levels as high as 1,470 parts per trillion (ppt), far above what is considered safe for drinking water.

“The toxic chemicals that I never used and had never even known about until two years ago contaminated my cows—which I really take exception to—and ruined my farming operation and hurt my family,” he told reporters at a press conference in 2019.

What is sewage sludge? It is a byproduct of the water treatment process. Basically, this is what is left over when water is separated from human and industrial waste from the sewers. Two states have stepped up the testing of sludge. Regulators in each state have communicated that contamination was found in all tested samples. Other states have rejected residents and environmental groups’ pleas for testing of sludge and soil for these chemicals.

Vice has also covered this topic recently and we recommend watching this video to understand the scale of the problem.

Pete Myers, Chief Scientist at Environmental Health Sciences, Adjunct Professor of Chemistry at Carnegie Mellon University, and Co-Author of Our Stolen Future, added “The long-term and ubiquitous practice of using sewage sludge to fertilize fields must be stopped until technologies become available that remove toxic contaminants like PFAS from the waste waters flowing into the sewage treatment plants. It’s a time bomb threatening our farmers that will grow vastly more damaging than any possible value that the “free” fertilizer … read “toxic sludge”… adds to the farm economy.”

Other Categories of Products Mamavation Has Tested for Indications of PFAS “Forever Chemicals”

Before we launch into the raw data from our EPA-certified lab, we wanted to remind you about all the other studies we have done on indications of PFAS “forever chemicals” inside the food and consumer products you bring inside your home.

• Soft Contact Lenses
• Green Beauty Makeup
• Dental Floss
• Toilet Paper
• Period Underwear
• Tampons
• Sanitary Pads, Pantiliners, & Incontinence Pads
• Powdered Electrolytes
• Butter Wrappers
• Pasta & Tomato Sauces
• Nut Butters (Peanut butter, etc.)
• Cooking Oils (olive oil, almond oil, canola oil, etc)
• Ketchup
• Activewear (Yoga Pants)
• Sports Bras
• Parchment Paper
• Cupcake Liners
• Plastic-Free Straws
• Fast Food Packaging
• Children’s Probiotics
• Kids’ Backpacks
• Baby Strollers

Mamavation’s Raw Data on Butter Wrappers Sold to American Consumers & Tested for Indications of PFAS “Forever Chemicals”

Butter wrappers were purchased in greater Los Angeles, California, and also donated from community members in states like Texas, Massachusetts, Arizona, Virginia, Nevada, & New York between January and June 2023. [Updated butter wrappers were tested in 2024 and 2026] Donated butter wrappers from community members were placed in Ziploc bags (which we know from prior testing are non-detect for fluorine) and shipped to Mamavation in greater Los Angeles. Mamavation then photographed the butter wrappers and shipped them directly to the lab.

Testing: Mamavation’s EPA-certified laboratory uses marker testing to identify the potential presence of PFAS “forever chemicals” in butter wrappers. Organic fluorine is a marker for PFAS because all PFAS chemicals are carbon-based compounds that contain fluorine. The specific lab method used to test for total fluorine was the Determination of Total Fluorine by Oxygen Flask Combustion and Ion-Selective Electrode. If total fluorine was observed at a detection level of 10 ppm, the lab did the Determination of free Fluoride Ion in the product by Ion-Selective Electrode and then subtracted that from the Total Fluorine to determine the amount of organic fluorine. This marker testing is likely to show the presence of PFAS. Organic fluorine can also capture other fluoropolymers, pharmaceuticals, and common hydrofluorocarbon refrigerants, such as 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane (commonly known as R-134a) and 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene (commonly known as HFO-1234yf), which are also PFAS.  None of which you want around your food!

Scott Belcher, Ph.D. & Associate Professor with the Center for Environmental & Health Effects of PFAS at North Carolina State University says “fluoropolymers, such as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) or Teflon®, are extremely common forms of PFAS that can be contributing to the organic fluorine found in butter. Methods used for detecting individual PFAS, such as PFOA or GenX, cannot directly identify PTFE. However, the analysis of total organic fluorine does account for all PFAS contaminants in butter wrappers, including PTFE. Therefore, this method of testing serves as a good ‘spot-check’ of consumer products.”

Product Brands We Tested
To help our community make safer choices, Mamavation sent a wide range of popular butter wrappers to our EPA-certified laboratory for organic fluorine testing. We evaluated all products for total organic fluorine (ppm), with results grouped by contamination level.

Below is the complete list of butter wrappers included in our investigation.

Butter Wrappers Tested by Mamavation

• 365 Whole Foods Market Organic Salted Butter Pasture-Raised 
• Cabot Natural Creamery Salted Butter Wrapper 
• Clover Sonoma Organic Salted Butter Wrapper 
• Échiré Churned Butter of Excellence Salted
• Grassland Salted Sweet Cream Butter
• HEB Organic Salted Sweet Cream Butter 
• Horizon Organic Salted Organic Butter From Pasture-Raised Cows 
• Isigny Sainte-Mère Cultured Churned Butter with Sea Salt Crystals
• Ivy’s Reserve Salted Farmhouse Butter
• Kate’s Salted Pure & Simple Sea Salt Butter
• Kerrygold Pure Irish Butter Product of Ireland
• Kirkland Signature (Costco) Organic Salted Butter 
• Kirkland Signature (Costco) Grass-Fed Butter Salted Product of New Zealand
• Land O’Lakes Salted Butter Flavor Protect Wrapper
• Maple Hill Organic Unsalted Butter
• Minerva Dairy Unsalted Stick Butter
• Miyoko’s European Style Cultured Vegan Butter w/ Hint of Sea Salt
• Nature’s Promise (Stop & Shop) Salted Organic Sweet Cream Butter 
• Nellie’s Free Range Slow Churned Butter Sea Salted from Grassfed Cows
• O Organics Organic Salted Sweet Cream Butter
• Organic Valley Sweet Cream Salted Butter Wrapper
• Raw Farm Raw Butter from Grass-Grazed Cows Lightly Salted 
• Rumiano Organic Sea Salt Butter Grass-Fed European Style
• Sierra Nevada Graziers Grass-Fed Vat Cultured Butter Salted
• Sierra Nevada Vat-Cultured European Style Salted Butter (USDA Organic)
• Sprouts Salted Grade AA Butter 
• Straus Family Creamery Organic European Style Lighted Salted Organic Butter 
• Trader Joe’s Organic Salted Butter 
• Truly Grassfed Natural Creamy Butter Salted Wrapper 
• Vermont Creamery Sea Salt Cultured Butter
• Vital Farms Sea Salted Butter 
• Wegmans Organic Unsalted Sweet Cream Butter wrapper

Want full access to the raw data, organic fluorine levels, and our recommendations for the safest butter wrappers? Become a Member and get Free Access.

The post Butter Wrappers & Indications of PFAS “Forever Chemicals” — Buying Guide appeared first on MAMAVATION.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.

Secondhand Exposure to Toxic Chemicals in Fragrance

Many experts compare secondhand exposure to fragrance as similar to exposure to cigarette smoke. Why? Just as passive smoke exposes bystanders to toxic airborne chemicals that are linked to cancer without their consent, fragranced products do the same thing. The release of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and other chemicals into the shared air is inhaled by people passing by or within the same walls involuntarily. This “secondhand fragrance” is seen as the new secondhand smoke tormenting about 1/3 of the population.

Examples of this passive exposure are from products like perfume & cologne, fragranced shampoo & conditioners, air fresheners, scented cleaners, laundry products, candles, lotions, etc. A whopping 32% of adults are reportedly sensitive to fragrance, having at least one of these symptoms when forced to smell them for a prolonged period of time: migraines or headaches, respiratory irritation, asthma attacks or exacerbations, mucosal symptoms, and skin reactions. Among people with asthma, the rates of discomfort are much higher. This group reports symptoms to fragrance 50- 60% of the time.

1. More natural perfumes do not contain chemicals that are toxic and hormone-disrupting
2. More natural and non-toxic perfumes do not have the staying power that synthetic perfumes have.  In other words, toxic perfumes rely heavily on synthetic fixatives that act like molecular “anchors” in the air. They stay in the air for up to 6 hours, whereas non-toxic perfumes are limited to natural options like resins, balsams, and certain woods, which are less efficient at holding volatile chemicals in the air.

Problematic Chemicals Hidden Inside Perfume Without Transparency

The perfume aisle is notoriously problematic in terms of chemicals used to disrupt hormones, including solvents, fixatives, scent bases, preservatives, and UV stabilizers. These chemicals can be absorbed through the skin (especially thinner areas like the neck or wrist) or inhaled as volatile organic compounds (VOCs). In addition, some of these chemicals bioaccumulate in fat tissue, breast milk, or cord blood.

The number one critique we have of the fragrance industry is their ability to hide hundreds of chemicals from consumers behind loopholes created for them decades ago. Under the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act (FPLA) of 1966, cosmetics sold to consumers must list ingredients on the label; however, a labeling loophole was created so that they are not forced to disclose trade secrets. Those trade secrets revolve around “fragrance” and “flavor.” As for fragrance, it can be listed as “fragrance” or “parfum” on labels as a proprietary mixture to hide dozens to hundreds of undisclosed chemicals (over 3,500 fragrance chemicals are in use industry-wide), limiting transparency to the consumer. Regulators argued that if a company is forced to reveal the exact compounds inside their products, competitors would reverse-engineer and copy them.

Over the years, many of the chemicals used to create fragrance have been deemed problematic to human health. These are the main problems you’ll find within perfumes and fragrances:

• Phthalates: Phthalates (especially diethyl phthalate or DEP) act as solvents and fixatives to make scents last longer and help blend ingredients. They frequently appear under the umbrella term “fragrance” and are detectable in the urine of the majority of people tested. They are recognized endocrine disruptors that can interfere with hormone production, signaling, or metabolism—particularly androgen (testosterone) pathways. Impacts on males from studies include: Reduced testosterone, altered semen quality/parameters, and impacts on male reproductive development. Effects on female fertility, pregnancy outcomes (e.g., links to preterm birth or hormone changes), early puberty, and possible influences on obesity, diabetes, or neurodevelopment. Some phthalates (e.g., DBP, DEHP) face restrictions or bans in cosmetics in the EU and elsewhere; DEP remains more widely used and is often described by regulators as lower-concern relative to others, though critics argue the broader class warrants caution due to cumulative exposure.
• Synthetic Musks: These (polycyclic musks like galaxolide/HHCB and tonalide/AHTN; older nitro musks) provide long-lasting base notes. They are lipophilic (fat-loving), persist in the environment and human tissues (including breast milk and newborn cord blood), and show endocrine activity. Evidence includes estrogenic or anti-androgenic effects in cell assays, thyroid interference, reproductive toxicity in animal models (e.g., sperm parameters, hormone levels), and potential bioaccumulation concerns. Musk ambrette (used in some inexpensive or counterfeit products) has been linked in recent research to activation of brain receptors involved in GnRH release, potentially contributing to earlier puberty onset; it is banned or restricted in the EU, Canada, and by IFRA but may still appear elsewhere.
• Parabens: Parabens (preservatives) can weakly mimic estrogen. Some studies link them to hormone disruption, reproductive effects, or interactions that may influence breast cancer cell growth in lab settings.
• UV Filters: UV filters (e.g., octinoxate & avobenzone) used for photostability—suspected endocrine activity affecting thyroid, reproductive, or other systems.
• Other Additives: Aldehydes, styrene, and certain VOCs—linked to irritation, allergies, possible carcinogenicity (styrene is reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen), headaches, or respiratory effects.

Sensitivities & Allergies to Fragrance Chemicals

Whether you are seeking natural or synthetic fragrances, you’ll likely come across someone who is sensitive or allergic to the chemicals inside the formulation. Both natural essential oils and synthetic fragrances contain chemicals that can be sensitizing. The European Union has done a good job of listing what these chemicals are and adding to the list to keep us all informed. Most of the problematic allergens are terpenes that oxidize when exposed to the air, like limonene and linalool. However, the pure, unoxidized forms are much weaker sensitizers and may be present in more natural fragrances.

Mamavation has not categorized our perfumes to avoid all these fragrances; instead, our purpose here is to give you information on what people are reacting to. Here are 26 ingredients that would be irritating to someone sensitive or allergic and would need to be disclosed according to European standards. Lots of these chemicals are naturally present in other ingredients.

Original List of 26 Allergens

Mamavation’s Investigation of Safest Perfumes

Mamavation evaluated the public ingredients of some of the most popular perfumes.

Not Our Favorite Perfumes

These products or brands list only “fragrance,” “parfum,” or “perfume” without full disclosure of the individual components. These often rely on conventional synthetic blends that historically include phthalates, synthetic musks, or other hormone-disrupting or sensitizing chemicals. Many popular department-store and celebrity lines fall here because of the industry-wide trade-secret loophole. Most of these fragrances also contain other ingredients we would consider problematic, spelled out earlier in this post.

• ALT. Duchess
• Calvin Klein Euphoria Bold Elixir
• Carolina Herrera Good Girl Eau de Parfum
• Chanel N°5 Eau de Parfum Fragrance Collection
• Clinique My Happy Fragrance Spray
• DedCool Milk Fragrance
• Dior Miss Dior Parfum
• Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue, Eau De Toilette Spray
• Ellis Brooklyn Guava Granita
• Ellis Brooklyn Marshmellows Hair and Body Fragrance Mist
• EverEden Hair and Body Fragrance Mist – Darling
• Lavanilla Pure Vanilla 100ml
• Oakcha That Girl | Viral Vanilla
• Obakki Roll-On Perfume – Seme
• Phlur Honey Moon Eau de Parfum Travel Spray
• Quince Oud Rouge Eau de Parfum
• Salt & Stone Santal & Vetiver Body Mist
• Sol de Janeiro Cheirosa 62 Perfume Mist
• Summer Fridays Sunlit Vanilla Eau de Parfum
• The Seven Virtues Coconut Sun
• Versace Dylan Blush Pink EDP
• Victoria’s Secret Bare Nectar Eau de Parfum

Better Perfumes

Products that claim to be phthalate-free, paraben-free, or “clean,” offer partial disclosure or a “no-list” of restricted ingredients, use some safe synthetics or botanicals, and show improved transparency—but stop short of full 100% ingredient lists for the fragrance portion or lack strong independent verification.

• CLEAN CLASSIC Skin Eau de Parfum
• DIME I Love Your Smell, Baby Perfume
• Josie Maran Golden Hour
• Orebella Blooming Fire Eau de Parfum
• Orebella Window2Soul Eau de Parfum
• Wit & West Brumaire Woods
• Wit & West Jasmine Bae Saranae

Best Perfumes

Products with 100% full ingredient disclosure (you can see every component of the scent), free of phthalates, parabens, and known problematic endocrine disruptors according to available data, often carrying EWG Verified or equivalent rigorous standards, and prioritizing transparency + safer materials (natural isolates, essential oils, or carefully vetted synthetics).

• Carter + Jane Sun Goddess Roll-on Aroma
• Carter + Jane Spa Retreat Roll-on Aroma
• DIME 7 Summers® Perfume
• DIME Dans Les Bois® Perfume
• Esas Summer ’95 Fragrance
• Henry Rose Dave Eau de Parfum (or buy on Credo Beauty)
• Henry Rose Jake’s House Eau de Parfum (or buy on Credo Beauty)
• Just the Goods Safety Net Perfume Oil
• Layermor Amal The Parfum
• Living Libations Lilac Lady Petal Perfume
• Nusa Holistick Teratai Natural Perfume
• Nusa Holistick Melati Natural Perfume
• Rosy & Earnest Be Rosy Eau de parfum
• Rowe Casa Organics Body Mist Spearmint + Eucalyptus (Use discount code “MAMAVATION” for 10% off products!)
• Rowe Casa Organics Body Mist Lavender + Vanilla (Use discount code “MAMAVATION” for 10% off products!)
• The Golden Secrets Signature Essential Oil Perfume
• & Tread Well Meadow Natural Fragrance
• Uncommon James Hard Feelings Eau de Parfum
• Wyld Notes White Lie (Use discount code “MAMAVATION” for 10% off products!)
• Wyld Notes Timeless Floral (Use discount code “MAMAVATION” for 10% off products!)

The post Safest Perfumes, Colognes, eau de parfums & Fine Fragrances appeared first on MAMAVATION.

Disclosure: This consumer study is released in partnership with Environmental Health News & Gentle Nursery. Scientific reviews were performed by (1) Terrence Collins, Teresa Heinz Professor of Green Chemistry & Director of the Institute for Green Sciences at Carnegie Mellon University, (2) Linda S. Birnbaum, Scientist Emeritus and Former Director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and National Toxicology Program & Scholar in Residence at Duke University, Adjunct Professor at the University of North Carolina, & Yale University, (3) Pete Myers, Chief Scientist at Environmental Health Sciences, Adjunct Professor of Chemistry at Carnegie Mellon University, and Co-Author of Our Stolen Future, & (4) Scott Belcher, Associate Professor with the Center for Environmental & Health Effects of PFAS at North Carolina State University. This post was medically reviewed by Sondra Strand, RN, BSN, PHN. Donations were provided by Environmental Health News and Mamavation community members. Note that Mamavation has only “spot-checked” the industry and thus we cannot make predictions about brands and products that we have not tested. Products and manufacturing aides can change without notice so buyer beware. This post contains affiliate links, with some to Amazon, which means Mamavation will receive a portion of those sales and we will use that to pay ourselves back for the testing. You can also give a tax-deductible donation to our consumer studies here through Environmental Health Sciences. Click “yes” when asked if the gift is in honor of someone and type “Mamavation.” Thank you!  [Update: additional products added on 4/29/24 & 8/2026] 

Mamavation’s Finds Indications of PFAS “Forever Chemicals” in Disposable Diapers & Cloth Diapers

Mamavation’s EPA-certified laboratory found indications of PFAS “forever chemicals” inside popular disposable diapers and cloth diapers after analyzing 40 diaper brands on the market today. PFAS are per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances that have been used for many decades as stain-resistant, oil-resistant, grease-resistant, & water-resistant chemicals in commerce. From our vantage point, it looks as if the diapering industry has also used PFAS for water repellency similar to raincoats & hiking boots.

PFAS is found in many other areas of our homes with some examples being cookware, makeup, drinking water, contact lenses & dental floss. These chemicals are linked to serious health effects, which we will discuss later. Because PFAS are so toxic, Mamavation has commissioned our own scientific studies on indications of PFAS in products to make recommendations for disposable diapers and cloth diapers using PFAS-free materials. Read Mamavation’s articles (see below) on these products to find which brands are organic-fluorine-free.

For this consumer study, Mamavation sent 65 diapers & similar accessories marketed for children from 40 brands to an EPA-certified laboratory looking for indications of toxic PFAS “forever chemicals.”  Here’s what we found:

• 23% of total diaper products tested had indications of PFAS “forever chemicals.” 15 detections from 65 diapers and cloth diaper accessories marketed to children had organic fluorine above 10 parts per million (ppm) according to our lab,
• Broken down by category, 17% of disposable diapers tested had indications of PFAS. Specifically, 6 out of 35 disposable diapers had detectable levels of organic fluorine above 10 ppm.
• 30% of reusable cloth diapers & accessories had indications of PFAS “forever chemicals.” Specifically, 9 out of 30 reusable cloth diapers and accessories had detectable levels of organic fluorine above 10 ppm.
• According to our lab, two OEKO-TEX-certified brands had indications of PFAS “forever chemicals.” These brands were marketed as “non-toxic” “safe from harmful substances” and “safe for baby and the Planet.”
• Ranges of organic fluorine, a marker of PFAS, were from 10 ppm to 323 ppm. 
• Both the inside and outside of the diapers were tested at the lab.
• [update: additional products added on 4/29/24 & 8/2026 that will change the percentages above]

Linda Birnbaum, Scientist Emeritus and Former Director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and National Toxicology Program & Scholar in Residence at Duke University, and Adjunct Professor at both University of North Carolina, & Yale University had this to say: “This is something that needs to be addressed immediately by the diaper industry! PFAS is not the type of chemical class that we can ignore around small infants. They accumulate inside the body and are close to impossible to get rid of. We already know that exposure to these chemicals can cause problems in pregnant women, but the effects on babies at this young age are mostly unknown. But just because we don’t know all the health impacts doesn’t mean they are safe. This idea is categorically false, especially around infants. I’m recommending IMMEDIATE action from the diaper industry to identify and avoid PFAS by doing total organic fluorine testing (instead of only testing specific compounds one by one) to better protect these infants.”

PFAS “Forever Chemicals” Have Problematic Health Effects

PFAS “forever chemicals” are problematic for human health and the environment. They are considered ubiquitous, persistent, and toxic. In fact, many of these PFAS chemicals can last for years or decades in our bodies.

Pregnant women and babies are the most vulnerable to the effects of toxic chemicals like PFAS in the environment. The development of a child can be disrupted by toxic chemicals that mimic natural hormones in such a way that are permanent and profound. Therefore, it’s imperative to reduce the amount of PFAS your children are exposed to from food, water, and consumer products like diapers. Mamavation is dedicated to helping you do that when you are shopping for diapers.

Here are some of the health effects of different PFAS “forever chemicals:”

• Reduction in immunity
• Reduced vaccination response
• Increased risk of allergies & asthma in young children
• Affected growth, learning, and behavior of infants and older children
• Increase cholesterol levels
• Metabolic diseases like obesity & diabetes
• Cardiovascular disease
• Lowered a woman’s chance of getting pregnant
• Lowered male fertility
• Increased risk of kidney & testicular cancers
• Causes endocrine disruption
• Disrupted normal thyroid function

It’s also very clear based on biomonitoring evidence from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) that PFAS are in all Americans. Therefore, these impacts can harm most Americans.

OEKO-TEX Certification Isn’t Exactly PFAS-Free

While some diaper companies use third-party certifications like FSC-certified to prove they are using materials from responsibly managed forests, there is one other certification we felt the need to explain. We found some diapers use OEKO-TEX certification to showcase how they do not off-gas problematic chemicals in trace amounts or cause exposure to certain toxic chemicals.  However, we found some major issues with OEKO-TEX in regard to PFAS that you need to know about.

OEKO-TEX has created new rules for PFAS in their certification, which include testing for PFAS chemicals, however, it’s not exactly a PFAS-free certification. Their new rules state that fabrics and products (in some of their certifications, but not all) need to be tested for organic fluorine. What they don’t tell you, however, is the testing they mandate (Extractable Organic Fluorine testing) doesn’t extract PFAS polymers, like polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) also known as “Teflon.” Why does this matter? Well, if you aren’t testing for PTFE, you won’t find PTFE in those tests. (We found two perfect examples of this possibility in our testing when we found an indication of PFAS in diapers with OEKO-TEX certification.)

• KUDOS Disposable Diapers
• Charlie Banana Reusable Diapers

So PTFE (the same chemical coating on certain non-stick pans) could potentially be in OEKO-TEX-certified products and no one would know because the testing mandated by the certification would not be able to tell. From our vantage point as we have helped several brands behind the scenes become fluorine-free, the vast majority of the problems we have encountered over the past three years are mostly related to PTFE. PTFE is also known to be very common in manufacturing in general, meaning it’s safe to assume it’s being used somewhere along the supply chain via lubrications, coatings on machinery, fluorinated plastics, etc. Therefore although OEKO-TEX is claiming to be PFAS-free, they aren’t telling you ALL the details to help you make an educated decision on PFAS. They use a testing approach that avoids PTFE. This means they cannot claim their products are PFAS-free.

OEKO-TEX is already in the crosshairs of California based on laws passed that protect children under the age of 12 from PFAS. AB 652 became law on July 1st, 2023. This law states no product for children under 12 can have intentionally added PFAS that has a functional or technical effect or ≥ 100 ppm (as total organic fluorine). Did you notice it says “total organic fluorine” not “extractable organic fluorine?” That’s because California recognizes that EOF testing does not extract PFAS polymers and would miss potential issues. So is it possible to purchase an OEKO-TEX product with PFAS levels that do not meet California’s new standards? It’s very possible because they are using the wrong kind of testing.

Another California bill signed into law that goes into effect in 2025 states that no apparel company can have PFAS above 100 ppm, but then by 2027, it goes lower to 50 ppm. This is a recognition that even “unintentional PFAS” will no longer be legal in California above certain thresholds using “total organic fluorine” testing just like we have done. We believe OEKO-TEX should reconsider what type of testing they are requiring from brands to stay within compliance with California and its laws. They should also police the marketing of their certification to ensure this issue is being clearly communicated to the public.

Terrence Collins, Teresa Heinz Professor of Green Chemistry & Director of the Institute for Green Sciences at Carnegie Mellon University had this to say:

“Mamavation is providing a very important service with this study. I looked at the OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 that some manufacturers are proud to proclaim their diapers meet. The Standard has a Class 1 section for chemicals in products appropriate for babies and this, appropriately, has the strictest limits. While the standard has been getting progressively stricter on PFAS limits over time, I would urge an even tighter strictness. Mamavation’s study deals with total organic fluorine in diapers, both extractable and non-extractable, and makes the point that it is a weakness of the Standard that it does not consider non-extractable organic fluorine. But another weakness is that the latest edition of the Standard still allows 10 ppm of Extractable Organic Fluorine (EOF)—too much, way too much! The EPA has set new concentration lifetime limits for the most toxic PFAS compounds in water that are so low that they are currently impossible to detect at any given time. We absolutely don’t want babies exposed to products containing 10 ppm of Extractable Organic Fluorine which is massive compared to the water standards! More broadly, whether extractable or non-extractable, PFAS chemicals once manufactured and distributed through commerce end up in the ecosphere somewhere and that can be in babies. Nature is helpless to get rid of them on any reasonable time scale. We really need to put the brakes on making PFAS and replace them, where necessary, as quickly as possible with alternatives that have been tested for safety to the highest standards of contemporary science.”

The Anatomy of a Diaper & Other Issues to Look Out For

Whether you have a disposable diaper or a cloth diaper, these products are complicated and require many parts to absorb liquids and keep leaks from happening. The most common type of diaper we tested was marketed as hypoallergenic to a baby’s skin which means it uses gentler materials and excludes problematic ingredients like synthetic fragrance, so the baby does not have skin irritation and rashes. This doesn’t mean the diaper is “non-toxic” but rather it’s less problematic for diaper rash. We found through our testing that a claim of hypoallergenic does not necessarily mean no PFAS.

Components of Most Diapers

• Top Sheet: This touches the baby on the inside and would be considered the inner layer. It’s important to watch out for additional chemicals touching the baby’s delicate skin like lotion and undisclosed fragrances. We found lots of indications of PFAS in this area.
• Back Sheet: This is the outside of the diaper. Many brands are using petroleum-based inks instead of water-based inks. If you have a reusable diaper, this back sheet can also be made from petroleum byproducts. (We will go over later which plastics are safest for infants.) This is also where we found lots of indications of PFAS in many reusable diapers.
• Absorbent Core Material: These are the materials used to catch the contents. Most brands of diapers use super absorbent polymer (SAP) or “fluff pulp” to catch urine & feces. Sometimes these materials can also have a wetness indicator built into the diaper that changes color from exposure to urine. We were not able to test the pulp on the insides of the diapers. While cloth diapers use absorbent fabrics such as microfibers, hemp, and cotton as their absorbent core. Some of these cloth diaper inserts come in direct contact with the baby’s skin, some do not. 
• Leg Cuffs: This squeezes the fabric around their legs so it doesn’t leak. This can include an elastic waistband made from spandex, latex, or other materials.
• Closing System: This is the part that closes the diaper so you can let the baby move around without worry. Closing systems vary on the diaper. It can be a clasp, polymer snaps, velcro, or even an old-fashioned safety pin.

Here are some of the categories of chemicals, in addition to PFAS, that we looked for when ranking premium diapers & non-toxic diapers.

Chlorine & Derivatives

Most disposable diapers in the past were made from a type of wood pulp that was dyed with chlorine bleach to make them whiter. Back then chlorine produced carcinogenic dioxins that babies were exposed to. Today, this has mostly changed but there are still some differences to watch out for in the bleaching process. Most diapers are made from specialized polymer materials including cellulose, polypropylene, polyester, and polyethylene. They are still mostly dyed, but different methods are used to accomplish this in the United States:

• ECF (elemental chlorine-free) pulp: This type of bleaching is not completely free of chlorine because it typically uses a different type of chlorine compound — chlorine dioxide. This chemical is still problematic on its own, but an improvement on a bleaching process that uses elemental chlorine. Brands that use ECF bleaching claim that elemental chlorine is not detectable in the final product via testing, but this bleaching process can still create disinfection byproducts. Therefore, because of the precautionary principle, we do NOT recommend this type of bleaching if a better alternative exists.
• TCF (total chlorine-free) pulp: This bleaching process is what we recommend you look for when selecting a diaper. No chlorine or chlorine compounds are used to dye products. Instead, they use oxygen, peroxide, and ozone-bleaching systems, which do not create disinfection byproducts. Watch out for diapers that claim to be “chlorine-free” without telling you what type of bleaching process they are using. Chances are, they are using the ECF method and want you to believe it’s TCF instead. True TCF bleaching represents only about 5% of the pulp manufactured for diapers, so be on the lookout.

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)

A recent study published in the Journal of Environmental Science and Technology found toxic Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) in many baby diapers. The baby diapers that were studied were found to have several known or suspected carcinogens including benzene and 1,4-dioxane. Unfortunately, they did not alert the consumer as to which brands had the highest levels of VOCs.

One of the problems that arises with diapers is the lack of disclosure. It was impossible for us to get the materials and chemicals used to produce all these diapers even when we emailed. In fact, some brands simply refused to respond to consumer questions about this. Is this illegal? No.

So how do you avoid VOCs in disposable diapers? It’s impossible to do without testing because even plant-based materials can be problematic. The easiest way to do this is to look for third-party certifications like EWG Verified or OEKO TEX Standard 100 (but not for PFAS).

Undisclosed Fragrances & Phthalates

Fragrances are used in diapers to mask unpleasant odors. That sounds great until you understand what fragrances are made of and how potentially problematic they are to infants and toddlers.

“Fragrance” is either made from petroleum (synthetic fragrances) or botanical (natural fragrance) raw materials or both. It can also contain ingredients like solvents, stabilizers, UV absorbers, preservatives, phthalates, and dyes. These types of chemicals vary in toxicity. But there is lots of mystery surrounding “fragrance” inside products like diapers.

Phthalates are another class of ingredient that is also hormone-disrupting and found in lots of personal care products. Phthalates are commonly used as a solvent (a liquid that can dissolve other substances) and fixative (a substance that can help the fragrance last longer on the skin) inside fragrances.  The most common phthalate inside fragrance is diethyl phthalate (DEP) and it’s considered toxic by the Toxic Substances Portal of the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR).

Phthalates are linked to health impacts like obesity and hyperactivity in children, and the kicker is infertility in men by degrading sperm quality. (In other words, wearing fragrances with phthalates when pregnant with a baby boy is a problem.) In fact, phthalates are so problematic to male fertility, they are being restricted in places like China. You can also find phthalates inside adhesives and dyes used in diapers.

Toxic Chemicals like Tributyltin, Dibutyltin, & Monobutyltin

Many disposable diapers may contain toxic chemicals called tributyltin (TBT) or other organotin compounds (organic tin compounds) like dibutyltin (DBT) or monobutyltin (MBT). Organotin substances have toxic effects which include neurotoxicity, endocrine disruption, reproductive and developmental toxicity, and immunotoxicity.

These compounds are very harmful to aquatic life and are used as antifungal agents in wood pulp mills or as stabilizers in the manufacturing process of plastic polymers. Because disposable diapers represent 4% of solid waste and are the third largest single consumer item found in landfills, it’s important to understand how these chemicals also interact with the environment. Several organotins, including TBT and DBT are obesogens, that is, contribute to weight gain. 

• Tributyltin (TBT): This is a toxic chemical used in many industrial applications like slime control in paper mills, disinfection of circulating industrial cooling waters, antifouling agents, and the preservation of wood. This chemical is found commonly in waterways because it’s used by ships as an anti-fouling agent in paint. It’s also quite common in diapers as a byproduct found in paper mills.
• Dibutyltin (DBT): This is a toxic chemical that is used to stabilize plastics like silicones, polyvinyl chloride plastics, polyurethanes, and polyester. It’s also used as a deworming agent in some poultry. It’s common to find DBT inside water pipelines and storage containers, and thus DBT is found in drinking water and beverages as well. Contaminated food & beverages, including seafood, are the most common exposure to humans.
• Monobutyltin (MBT): This toxic chemical is used as a stabilizer and catalyst in polyurethane foam and silicones.

Adhesives, Lotions, Dyes, & Wetness Indicators

Adhesives, lotions, dyes & wetness indicators were the biggest problems we saw in terms of transparency. Most diaper companies are not 100% transparent about their use of adhesives, lotions, dyes, or wetness indicators at all. In fact, we emailed several of them and got very few responses about this topic and even less usable information.

• Adhesives: From our research on the industry, we discovered that most disposable diapers rely on a hot-melt adhesive process that uses a thermoplastic polymer to bond all the components of the diaper together. But as for disclosure, very few companies are transparent about all these details, so there may be some that are using toxic adhesives and we would have no idea. Many of these adhesives include alkylphenol ethoxylates, or APEOs, and alkylphenol derivatives, which are highly toxic to aquatic life and linked to reproductive and developmental issues in animal studies.
• Lotions: Many diapers are coated with lotions on the outer exterior top sheet of the disposable diaper. This is the part that touches the baby’s skin. Unfortunately, “lotion” could contain anything from petroleum ingredients to vegetable oils to aloe vera and botanical extracts. We simply do not know what is inside these ingredients, which is part of the problem.
• Dyes: Dyes can become very problematic to babies when they cause allergic reactions or expose them to heavy metals like lead. One study published in Pediatrics suggests that green, pink, & blue dyes from disposable diapers were responsible for contact dermatitis.
• Wetness Indicators: Some diapers include wetness indicators inside the diaper to alert parents to a soggy diaper. These strips typically include dyes or a pH indicator within a carrier matrix (which can include petroleum-derived and ethoxylated compounds) so that when urine comes in contact with the strip, the color intensifies. Diaper companies were not transparent about the ingredients used, but we know these strips can include harmful chemicals like quaternary ammonium compounds (Quats) and halogenated organic compounds, in addition to whatever is found in the carrier matrixes, which can also contain polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons or PAHs that are considered carcinogens.

If you are looking for a disposable diaper that is 100% transparent about these issues, we would recommend the following brand. We took the liberty of reaching out to them to get a discount for you:

• Healthy Baby Ultra Organic Soft Diapers — EWG Verified. Inside of diaper non-detect organic fluorine, outside of diaper non-detect organic fluorine. (Use discount code “MAMAVATION” for 15% off sitewide no minimum purchase, eligible for use on subscriptions, 1 use per customer.) This means we did not find indications of PFAS on the inside or outside of this diaper.

Additional Materials To Avoid in Reusable & Cloth Diapers

We were very surprised by the chemicals and materials used in the cloth diapering industry because when you look online for toxic-free diapering options, many websites recommend cloth diapers. So we started by interviewing a retired industry expert who started up her own cloth diaper company many years ago. In our interview, she told us she believed she was pushed out of the industry because she demanded better materials from her manufacturers which they did not have.

This story struck us as very problematic so we decided immediately to start testing cloth diapers for indications of PFAS “forever chemicals” in addition to disposable diapers and we are very glad we did.

Not only did we find indications of PFAS in some very popular cloth diaper products, but we also wanted to explore for you additional materials we found could be problematic inside cloth diapers:

• Waterproofing Fabrics — These materials we found could be covered in PFAS “forever chemicals” as a way to keep the moisture inside the diaper. There are two basic fabrics we noticed that are used for the outer layer of waterproofing: Polyurethane Laminate (PUL) and Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU). Most of the time they are going together whereas the PUL is the fabric and the TPU is a thin plastic that goes over the fabric. PUL can be manufactured with toxic solvents unless it’s considered “Thermally Bonded PUL,” which is thermally bonded with heat, pressure, and mystery adhesives. However, all types are made from petroleum byproducts and can off-gas over time just like other types of petroleum products as they are washed and broken down over time.
• Liner Fabrics — These fabrics are mostly different types of fleece, which is a fabric that is knit on one side and brushed on the other side to loosen the fabric and create plush. Options we found were microfleece, cotton or cotton blended fleece, polyester fleece, lycra spandex fleece, French terry fleece, & polar fleece. Some of these fleece absorbs water while others repel it. Most fleece fabrics are made from a type of polyester fiber. The polyester is made by using a chemical reaction involving petroleum and petroleum derivatives. These chemicals are heated for a time until they form a thick syrup, which then hardens, and is then spun and turned into thread. Occasionally other natural fibers are woven into the material such as cotton, wool, & hemp. These fabrics like polar fleece and microfleece can also be treated with PFAS “forever chemicals” that make them even more water-repellent.

Some websites advise customers to wash their diapers multiple times before using them. We are unconvinced washing in the laundry will completely break down these chemicals.

What materials should you focus on diapering your baby with instead? The best cloth diapers use organic cotton, wool, or hemp, however, most of them are made with PUL and TPU waterproof covers.

Toxicity of Plastics Used In Reusable Diapers or Cloth Diapers

A recent study covered in the Journal of Science & Technology looked at the toxicological and chemical signatures of the most common types of plastics using in vitro bioassays and nontarget high-resolution mass spectrometry. They found that “Most (74%) of the 34 plastic extracts contained chemicals triggering at least one endpoint, including baseline toxicity (62%), oxidative stress (41%), cytotoxicity (32%), estrogenicity (12%), and antiandrogenicity (27%).” Here is how they ranked the plastics from highest to lowest concern. Notice that PUR is close to the very top of concerns and therefore should not be used around infants inside diapers, especially if you are planning to wash over and over again which could break down the polymers over time.

• PVC: polyvinyl chloride — highest concern
• PUR: polyurethane — highest concern
• LDPE: low-density polyethylene –medium concern
• PLA: polylactic acid (found in lots of bioplastics) — medium concern
• PP: polypropylene — medium concern
• PS: polystyrene — medium concern
• HDPE: high-density polyethylene — Lowest concern
• PET: polyethylene terephthalate — Lowest concern

Pete Myers, Chief Scientist at Environmental Health Sciences, Adjunct Professor of Chemistry at Carnegie Mellon University, and Co-Author of Our Stolen Future, had this to say: “The chemical issues Mamavation has uncovered here sound like the Wild West. This is one industry that needs to clean up its act with much greater transparency and much stronger efforts to avoid toxic chemicals. Clearly, the chemistry of diapers can be as messy as what the babies unload into them. Actually, much messier because of the presence of chemicals like PUR and PFAS. In terms of cloth diapers, you are best off using organic cotton diapers that do not contain additives to make them more absorbent or more waterproof. Even PLA can be problematic.”

How to Save on Disposable Diapers

Diapers can be so expensive, especially considering you are purchasing about 4,000 of them in the first year of your child’s life. We looked around for diapers that we have been able to “pass” through testing and scrutiny of disclosed materials. One way we found to save on diapers is to set yourself up on Amazon with automatic purchasing.

Amazon discounts diapers 20% when you sign up as an Amazon Prime member with their Subscribe and Save program. We found Pamper Pure, Dyper, Honest, Mama Bear, and a few more available. These brands represent the “better” not “best” categories. All you have to do is sign up for Amazon Prime and then join Amazon Family for free where you sign up to receive diapers automatically. You can sign up for any type of schedule ranging from delivery dates from 1-6 months.

You’ll also find plenty of brands that we have as “better” because they did not have indications of PFAS “forever chemicals,” however, those diapers may have other materials and ingredients that are not as safe overall.

Other Categories of Products Mamavation Has Tested for Indications of PFAS “Forever Chemicals”

Before we launch into the raw data from our lab, we wanted to remind you about all the other studies we have done on indications of PFAS “forever chemicals” inside the food and consumer products you may bring inside your home. Each one of these studies were done in a similar fashion as this study with brands sent independently to the lab and raw data of those labs at the bottom of the post.

Beauty & Personal Care Products

• Green Beauty Makeup
• Lip Balms
• Deodorants
• Toilet Paper
• Dental Floss
• Contact Lenses
• Condoms & Lubricants
• Bandages like “Band-Aids”
• Mouth Tape

Food & Beverages PFAS Testing

• Butter Wrappers
• Fast Food Packaging
• Nut Butters
• Cooking Oils
• Pasta & Tomato Sauces
• Ketchup
• Non-Dairy Powdered Creamers
• Chamomile Teas 
• Green Teas
• Earl Grey Teas 
• Sparkling Waters
• Store-bought Pasta

Supplements PFAS Testing

• Electrolytes
• Children’s Probiotics
• Protein Powders
• Children’s Multivitamins
• Women’s Multivitamins
• Vitamin D Supplements

Menstrual Products Testing

• Tampons
• Sanitary Pads & Incontinence Pads
• Period Underwear

Clothing PFAS Testing

• Activewear –Yoga Pants & Workout Leggings
• Sports bras 

Food Packaging & Parchment Paper PFAS Testing

• Parchment Paper Baking Paper
• Cupcake Liners
• Plastic Free Disposable Straws
• Fast Food & Grocery Store Packaging Testing
• Sandwich Bags like Ziploc
• Paper Plates
• Paper Towels

Baby & Children PFAS Testing

• Strollers 
• Diapers
• Probiotics for Children
• Kids Backpacks

Computers, Phones, & Office PFAS Testing

• Mobile Phone Screen Protectors

Cleaning & Laundry Testing

• Laundry Detergent Sheets

Outdoors & Garden

• Garden Soil

Product Brands We Tested
To help our community make safer choices, Mamavation sent a wide range of disposable and cloth diapers to our EPA-certified laboratory for PFAS marker testing. All products were evaluated for total fluorine to identify potential indications of PFAS “forever chemicals.”

Below is the complete list of diaper brands included in our investigation.

Disposable & Cloth Diapers Tested by Mamavation

• Abby & Finn Diapers

• ALVABABY Baby Swim Diapers

• ALVABABY Pocket Cloth Diaper

• Andy Pandy Bamboo Diapers

• Attitude Eco Diapers Couches Baby Diapers

• BabyCozy Bouncy Soft Baby Diapers

• Babyganics Skin Love Diapers

• Bambino Mio Reusable Miosolo All-in-One Nappy

• Bambino Mio Reusable Miosoft Two Piece Nappy Cover

• Bambo Nature Dream Diapers

• Beau & Belle Little Reusable Swim Diaper

• Blueberry Training Pants

• bumbum Luxury Skincare Diapers

• bumGenius Diapers

• Charlie Banana Reusable Swim Diaper

• Charlie Banana One Size Diaper

• Cloth-EEZ Diapers

• Coterie Diapers

• Cuties Complete Care Diapers

• DYPER Plant-Based Bamboo Diapers

• EcoAble Reusable Diapers

• Eco by Naty Diapers

• ECO BOOM Bamboo Diapers

• Ecoriginals Eco-Friendly Diapers

• EcoPeaCo. Bamboo Diapers

• Esembly Cloth Diapers
• EveryLife Training Pants

• Freestyle Hyper Bamboo Absorbent Diapers

• FuzziBunz Cloth Diapers

• FuzziBunz Organic Cloth Inserts

• GroVia Hybrid Shell Waterproof Diaper Cover

• Happy Little Camper Ultra-Absorbent Natural Diapers

• HealthyBaby Ultra Organic Soft Diapers

• Hello Bello Diapers

• Honest Company Diapers

• Honest Training Pants

• Huggies Pullups

• Huggies Snug & Dry

• Joonya Baby Nappies Diapers

• Kirkland (Costco) Diapers

• Kudos Diapers

• LUVS Diapers

• Mama Bear (Amazon) Gentle Touch Diapers

• Millie Moon (Target) Diapers

• Offspring Diapers

• ONE by GroVia One Size Cloth Diaper

• OsoCozy Cloth Diaper

• Parasol Clear Dry Diapers

• Rascal & Friends Diapers

• Rumparooz Cloth Diaper

• Pampers Pure Protection Hybrid Diaper with Reusable Cover

• Pampers Pure Diapers

• Pampers Splashers Swim Pants

• Pampers Swaddlers

• Pooters Hemp Fitted Reusable Diaper Insert

• Puppi’s AI2 Cloth Diaper Insert

• Pura Diapers Super Soft & Comfy

• Seventh Generation Diapers

• Smart Bottoms Newborn Cloth Diaper

• TERRA Plant-Based Nappy Pants

• Thirsties Natural One Size Diaper

• up&up (Target) Pull Ups

Want full access to the raw data, fluorine findings, and our recommendations for the safest diaper brands? Become a Member and get Free Access to the complete buying guide with detailed lab results for every product.

The post Disposable & Cloth Diapers Tested For Indications of PFAS “Forever Chemicals” appeared first on MAMAVATION.

Disclosure: This consumer study is released in partnership with Environmental Health News. Scientific review was performed by Dr. Craig Downs, Executive Director of Haereticus Environmental Laboratory. Donations were provided by Environmental Health News and Mamavation community members. Note that Mamavation has only “spot-checked” the industry and thus we cannot make predictions about brands and products that we have not tested. Products and manufacturing aides can change without notice so buyer beware. This post contains affiliate links, with some to Amazon, which means Mamavation will receive a portion of those sales and we will use that to pay ourselves back for the testing. You can also give a tax-deductible donation to our consumer studies here through Environmental Health Sciences. Thank you!  [update of more products were added 7/2026]

Mamavation Finds PFAS “Forever Chemicals” in Organic Garden Soils

Mamavation’s EPA-certified laboratory found per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS “forever chemicals”) in 18 popular garden soils. These chemicals are linked to serious health effects, which we will discuss later. Because PFAS “forever chemicals” are so problematic to normal hormone action, Mamavation has commissioned our own scientific studies on PFAS in food products to make recommendations for the safest garden soils. Continue reading Mamavation’s article on these products to find which brands have the safest garden soils according to our laboratory.

For this consumer study, Mamavation sent 18 popular garden soils from 11 brands to an EPA-certified laboratory looking for specific PFAS compounds. Because Mamavation only tested one product per brand, we cannot claim to know if these issues are, in fact, industry-wide or brand-wide. However, based on our “spot-check” of the industry, this is what we found:

• 83% of garden soil had detectable PFAS “forever chemicals” according to our lab. That’s 15 out of 18 garden soil products tested had PFAS.
• 61% of garden soil had quantifiable levels of PFAS “forever chemicals” according to our lab. This means the levels of PFAS found were high enough to quantify. That’s 11 out of 18 garden soil products.
• 80% of organic gardening soil had detectable PFAS “forever chemicals“, which ends up being 8 out of 10 Organic products tested.
• One brand of organic Miracle-Grow had over 20 types of PFAS.
• [update: more brands/products were added on 7/2026]

Dr. Craig Downs, Executive Director of Haereticus Environmental Laboratory, had this to say after his scientific review, “PFAS contamination of garden soils is extremely worrisome. A number of scientific studies have shown that PFAS contaminants in the soil can be taken up by the plants and sequester in the leaves (e.g., spinach), fruit (e.g., tomatoes), and roots (e.g., carrots). Studies have shown that PFAS contaminants can accumulate in vegetables above the recommended attention and action limits. This potentially poses a risk for everyone who consumes produce from plants grown in contaminated soil.”

Recent Studies & Lawsuits on PFAS Have Demonstrated Widespread Contamination in Garden Soils

The last five years have seen lots of study and movement around PFAS “forever chemicals” and soil. Not only have two very popular garden soil companies been sued, but many studies have found PFAS in garden soil.

• Miracle-Gro Lawsuit filed in 2025 says Scott’s falsely represents that the Products are organic even though they contain synthetic, nonorganic, and harmful forever chemicals known as perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).
• The Kellogg Organics Lawsuit, filed in 2025, alleges that Kellogg falsely represents that its products are “organic” despite containing PFAS such as PFOA and PFOS.
• The National Collaborative PFAS Project was released in January 2025 with Phase I findings. They found PFAS in biosolids and soil nationwide. The study is designed to evaluate the incidence and mobility of PFAS in soils with a history of land application of municipal biosolids. Partners from 23 sites in 17 states across the country provided soil samples from land application and control plots (no biosolids applied). Samples represented a variety of different soil types, depths to groundwater, climates, and irrigation methods.
• Study in 2024 found the release potential of PFAS from a commercial biosolid-derived compost.
• Australian study in 2022 looked at 19 different commercially available composts, garden soils, and potting mixes for the presence of 38 per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). The concentration of 38 PFAS in all the products ranged from 1.26 to 11.84 µg kg. The concentrations of legacy PFAS such as PFOA, PFOS, and PFHxS in all the tested samples were (mean concentration 0.47, 0.60, and 0.58 µg kg.)

How Do PFAS “Forever Chemicals” Get Into Garden Soil

There are many known sources of PFAS that can find their way into garden soil. This may not be an exhaustive list, but here are many ways we believe the contamination may find itself present.

• Biosolids: Where does all that sewage go? When sewage from households and businesses is sent to a wastewater treatment plant, the liquids are separated from the solids, producing a semi-solid, nutrient-rich product known as “sewage sludge” or “biosolids”. It’s then treated according to the regulatory requirements set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and returned to the land. How? Farmers are sold biosolids as soil conditioners or fertilizers, which can have high amounts of PFAS.
• Compost: Biosolids are the #1 reason why compost may contain PFAS. Many commercial garden composts, soil amendments, and “organic” bagged mixes include or are made from biosolids, which can contain PFAS. Then breaking down packaging known to contain PFAS can contaminate compost as well. Grease-proof wrappers, plates, pizza boxes, and takeout containers (even some labeled “compostable”) contain PFAS for water/oil resistance. When food scraps and contaminated packaging go into commercial compost streams, the PFAS tranfers to the final product.
• Manure: PFAS gets into manure by first contaminating water, soil, or animal feed on the farm. Crops absorb PFAS and Horses and cows consume what is present on the farm and that comes out in their manure.
• Other organic materials like peat, worm castings, or plant-based fertilizers may have low background levels from environmental exposure.
• Irrigation with Contaminated Water: Water is contaminated in several ways. Industrial discharges & discharges from toxic products we bring into our homes find their way into rivers, streams, and groundwater. Products such cosmetics, non-stick cookware, stain-resistant fabrics, food packaging, cleaning products, pesticides, & old carpeting contaminate drains and sewers. Aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) used at airports, military bases, and fire-training sites also contain very high PFAS levels, which can find it’s way into groundwater, etc. Then farmers & home gardeners draw from surface water (rivers, lakes, canals, ponds), groundwater wells, and municipal reclaimed water systems, which all could contain PFAS.
• Atmospheric Deposition and Airborne Sources: Airborne sources of PFAS are very common.They start as direct emissions and indirect release of volatile precursors. Industrial facilities release both particle-bound PFAS and gases. Wastewater treatment plants release PFAS into the air when sludge in aeration basins are burned. Landfills offgas PFAS from contaminated waste. Firefighting foam (AFFF) sites aerosolize PFAS during use of fires at airports and military bases. PFAS is also incinerated when houses or buildings burn. And finally, on urban dust and vehicular emissions from cars and such in cities can all contribute to PFAS found in the urban dust and vehicular emissions — in cities.
• Historical Use of PFAS: Some areas are known to have PFAS “forever chemical” contamination such as airports, military bases, printing presses, landromats, chemical manufacturing plants, semiconductors, textile and carpet mills, petroleum refining. leather tanning, construction, automotive, aerospace, and pharmaceutical industries.

Mamavation’s Investigation of Garden Soil and 40 Analyte PFAS Testing

Garden Soil was purchased between June of 2024 and February of 2025 on the East Coast and then on the West Coast.  Each product was recorded in our database and then sent directly to the lab within its original packaging.

• Perflurobutanoic acid (PFBA)
• Perfluoropentanoic acid (PFPeA)
• Perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA)
• Perfluoroheptanoic acid (PFHpA)
• Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA)
• Perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA)
• Perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA)
• Perfluoroundecanoic acid (PFUnA)
• Perfluorododecanoic acid (PFDoA)
• Perfluorotridecanoic acid (PFTrDA)
• Perfluorotetradecanoic acid (PFTeDA)
• Perfluorobutanesulfonic acid (PFBS)
• Perfluoropentansulfonic acid (PFPeS)
• Perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS)
• Perfluoroheptanesulfonic acid (PFHpS)
• Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS)
• Perfluoronanesulfonic acid (PFNS)
• Perfluorodecanesulfonic acid (PFDS)
• Perfluorododecanesulfonic acid (PFDoS)
• 1H,1H, 2H, 2H-Perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (4:2FTS)
• 1H,1H, 2H, 2H-Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (6:2FTS)
• 1H,1H, 2H, 2H-Perfluorodecane sulfonic acid (8:2FTS)
• Perfluorooctanesulfonamide (PFOSA)
• N-methyl perfluorooctanesulfonamide (NMeFOSA)
• N-ethyl perfluorooctanesulfonamide (NEtFOSA)
• N-methyl perfluorooctanesulfonamidoacetic acid (NMeFOSE)
• N-ethyl perfluorooctanesulfonamidoethanol (NEtFOSE)
• Hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid (HFPO-DA)
• 4,8-Dioxa-3H-perfluorononanoic acid (ADONA)
• Perfluoro-3-methoxypropanoic acid (PFMPA)
• Perfluoro-4-methoxybutanoic acid (PFMBA)
• Nonafluoro-3,6-dioxaheptanoic acid (NFDHA)
• 9-Chlorohexadecafluoro-3-oxanonane-1-sulfonic acid (9CI-PF3ONS)
• 11-Chloroeicosafluoro-3-oxaundecane-1-sulfonic acid (11CI-PF3OUdS)
• Perfluoro(2-ethoxyethane)sulfonic acid (PFEESA)
• 3-Perfluoropropyl propanoic acid (3:3FTCA)
• 2H,2H,3H,3H-Perfluorooctanoic acid (5:3FTCA)
• 3-Perfluoroheptyl propanoic acid (7:3FTCA)

Product Brands We Tested
To help our community make safer choices, Mamavation sent a wide range of popular garden soil to our EPA-certified laboratory for PFAS testing.

Below is the complete list of garden soils included in our investigation. Sign in to MAMAGATE membership to view all results.

• Back to Roots Organic Potting Soil
• E.B. Stone Organics Edna’s Best Potting Soil
• FoxFarm Ocean Forest Potting Soil
• Garden Kellogg Organics Patio Plus Premium Outdoor Potting Mix Organic Plus
• Grow Well Proven Organic Garden Soil Farm Grade Organics for Home-Grown Success Professional Farm-Grade Soil
• Harvest Organics Potting Soil
• Kellogg Garden Organics All-Natural Garden Soil for Flowers & Vegetables
• Kellogg Organic Raised Bed & Potting Mix Premium Outdoor Container Mix Organic Plus
• Malibu Compost Baby Bu’s Biodynamic Blend Potting Soil
• Miracle-Gro Raised Bed Soil 
• Miracle-Gro Performance Organics In-Ground Soil (Purchased East Coast)
• Miracle-Gro Performance Organics In-Ground Soil  (Purchased West Coast)
• Miracle-Gro Garden Soil for Veg & Herbs 
• Miracle-Gro Potting Mix
• Miracle-Gro Garden Soil for in-ground use
• Miracle-Gro Organic Raised Bed & Garden Soil Quick Release Natural Fertilizer
• ProMix Premium Organic Garden Mix Compressed Pack
• ProMix Premium All Purpose Mix
• StaGreen Flower & Veggie Soil Plus Fertilizer
• Sun Gro Black Gold Natural & Organic Potting Soil Mix Plus Fertilizer
• Timberline Soil Cow Manure & Compost
• Vigoro All-Purpose Potting Mix Specialty Blended for Indoor & Outdoor Containers & Pots

The post Safest Soil for Gardening Tested for PFAS “Forever Chemicals” — Guide appeared first on MAMAVATION.

Disclosure: This consumer study is released in partnership with Environmental Health News. Scientific reviews were performed by (1) Terrence Collins, Teresa Heinz Professor of Green Chemistry & Director of the Institute for Green Sciences at Carnegie Mellon University, (2) Linda S. Birnbaum, Scientist Emeritus and Former Director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and National Toxicology Program & Scholar in Residence at Duke University, Adjunct Professor at the University of North Carolina, & Yale University, & (3) Scott Belcher, Associate Professor with the Center for Environmental & Health Effects of PFAS at North Carolina State University. This post was medically reviewed by Sondra Strand, RN, BSN, PHN. Donations were provided by Environmental Health News and Mamavation community members. Note that Mamavation has only “spot-checked” the industry and thus we cannot make predictions about brands and products that we have not tested. Products and manufacturing aides can change without notice so buyer beware. This post contains affiliate links, with some to Amazon, which means Mamavation will receive a portion of those sales and we will use that to pay ourselves back for the testing. You can also give a tax-deductible donation to our consumer studies here through Environmental Health Sciences. Thank you!  [Additional labs were added in 2024 and 2025]

Mamavation’s Lab Finds Indications of PFAS “Forever Chemicals” In Deodorants

Mamavation’s EPA-certified laboratory found indications of PFAS “forever chemicals” after analyzing 15 popular deodorants. PFAS is found in many other areas of our homes with some examples being cookware, makeup, drinking water, contact lenses & dental floss. These chemicals are linked to serious health effects, which we will discuss later. Because PFAS are so toxic, Mamavation has commissioned our own scientific studies on indications of PFAS in products to make recommendations for deodorants using PFAS-free materials. Read Mamavation’s articles on these products to find which brands are organic-fluorine-free.

For this consumer study, Mamavation sent 15 deodorants from 14 brands to an EPA-certified laboratory looking for indications of toxic PFAS “forever chemicals.”  Here’s what we found:

• 40% of total deodorants tested had indications of PFAS “forever chemicals.” 6 detections from 15 deodorants had organic fluorine above 10 parts per million (ppm) according to our lab,
• Ranges of organic fluorine, a marker of PFAS, were from 11 ppm to 32 ppm. 
• Both “natural” and conventional deodorants had some issues, however, we believe these levels are unintentional contamination.
• (Please note this investigation has been updated with additional lab results since this consumer study was originally posted to give our audience more variety, but we have not changed anything else. Therefore, this will not be reflected in the talking points above. Please note that updated highest amount of organic fluorine is now 103 ppm.)

Linda Birnbaum, Scientist Emeritus and Former Director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and National Toxicology Program & Scholar in Residence at Duke University, and Adjunct Professor at both University of North Carolina, & Yale University had this to say: “Because deodorants are applied every day to our bodies, it’s imperative the deodorant industry needs to find this contamination and address it immediately to ensure that women (& men) are no longer exposed when using their deodorants.”

PFAS “Forever Chemicals” Have Problematic Health Effects

PFAS “forever chemicals” are problematic for human health and the environment. They are considered ubiquitous, persistent, and toxic. In fact, many of these PFAS chemicals can last for years or decades in our bodies. The health effects from exposure to PFAS on the armpit areas right next to breast tissue are unknown. It’s also unknown what happens when it is absorbed into our tissues and travels around in our bodies. However, we do know that these areas can be vulnerable to toxic chemicals like PFAS “forever chemicals” because of the proximity to breast tissue and the lymphatic system. Therefore, it’s imperative to reduce the amount of PFAS you are exposed to from food, water, and consumer products like deodorant. Mamavation is dedicated to helping you do that when you are shopping for deodorant.

Here are some of the health effects of different PFAS “forever chemicals:”

• Reduction in immunity
• Reduced vaccination response
• Increased risk of allergies & asthma in young children
• Affected growth, learning, and behavior of infants and older children
• Increase cholesterol levels
• Metabolic diseases like obesity & diabetes
• Cardiovascular disease
• Lowered a woman’s chance of getting pregnant
• Lowered male fertility
• Increased risk of kidney & testicular cancers
• Causes endocrine disruption
• Disrupted normal thyroid function
• Increases risk of acute lymphoblastic leukemia in children 

It’s also very clear based on biomonitoring evidence from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) that PFAS are in all Americans. Therefore, these exposures can harm most Americans.

Terrence Collins, Teresa Heinz Professor of Green Chemistry & Director of the Institute for Green Sciences at Carnegie Mellon University said,  “Can we learn to put the seductive technical and cost performances of PFAS compounds into a perspective that appropriately accounts for the horrible health, environmental and fairness performances? The answer, simply put, is “Yes!” In 2021, Maine became the first state to enact a PFAS ban in all products (by 2030), unless the use is deemed “currently unavoidable”. Hopefully more states and the entire Union will follow suit. In the meantime, each deodorant company could protect its customers by investing in finding out how much PFAS is in their products and disclosing this on their product labels. They should look well below the 10 parts per million limit that Mamavation can afford. Some PFAS compounds are endocrine disruptors. Wherever endocrine disruption operates, serious toxicity can be elicited at parts per trillion or at even lower doses.”

Additional Key Ingredients in Deodorants You’ll Also Want to Avoid

Many deodorants claim to be formulated by board-certified dermatologists or other types of doctors for the best odor protection, but how can ingredients that interact with hormones be recommended? Should you trade body odor for endocrine disruption, especially around tissue that is very close to your breasts? Many conventional deodorants or roll-on deodorants, contain a formula with ingredients that can be problematic to human health. So what types of chemicals should you avoid in deodorants? Here are some of the most problematic.

• Parabens: Parabens are those sneaky little ingredients linked to cancer, and developmental and reproductive toxicity. In fact, they are typically found inside breast cancer tumors. Parabens are used in cosmetics to prevent mold, yeast, and odor-causing bacteria from forming. And they are used in cosmetics to give the product a longer shelf life. Are there alternatives? Yes. But parabens are cheaper to use and allow the product to stay on the shelves for years and years and years…until it’s sold. So this is why cosmetic companies use them and why we do investigations on shampoo and conditioner brands to avoid.
• Formaldehyde Releasers: These ingredients are known to release formaldehyde in trace amounts. Formaldehyde is a known human carcinogen.
• Undisclosed fragrance (can contain any of thousands of chemicals and ingredients are not listed individually): “Fragrance” or scents are either made from petroleum (synthetic fragrances) or botanical raw materials (natural fragrance) or both. It can also contain ingredients like solvents, stabilizers, UV absorbers, preservatives, phthalates, and dyes. These types of chemicals vary in toxicity. But there is lots of mystery surrounding “fragrance” in personal care products. Companies that make perfume buy chemicals from other companies called “fragrance houses.” This means it is possible for a brand to not even know the fragrance chemicals inside their own product. However, as companies and states are moving toward fragrance ingredient disclosure, this is slowly starting to change. (You can make a difference here by only purchasing from brands that are doing 100% ingredient disclosure to help!) The biggest problem is the mystery because no one has any idea what is inside the word “fragrance.”
• Aluminum salts: Some concerns have been raised about aluminum salts that are concerning. However, more studies need to be done to link them directly to health effects like breast cancer or Alzheimer’s.
• Phthalates: Phthalates are another class of ingredient that is also hormone-disrupting and found in most conventional deodorants. And when I say hormone-disrupting, I’m meaning links to things like obesity, hyperactivity in children, and the kicker is infertility in men by degrading sperm quality. In fact, phthalates are so problematic to male fertility, they are being restricted in places like China. Phthalates, although worse for men, are also problematic to women.
• Propylene glycol (PEGs): According to the Center for Disease Control “Propylene glycol breaks down in the body in about 48 hours. However, studies of people and animals show that if you have repeated eye, skin, nasal, or oral exposures to propylene glycol for a short time, you may develop some irritation.” This chemicals is considered “generally recognized as safe” or GRAS by the Food & Drug Administration, yet is not recommended as a precaution because of how irritating it can become and how often people are allergic to it.
• Cyclopentasiloxane: This is a silicon-based cyclic compound that may be associated with environmental toxicity.
• BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole ) & BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene): These ingredients are known hormone disruptors that are linked to liver damage. They are another example of harsh preservatives.
• Ethoxylated Ingredients — Ethoxylated ingredients are generally of low concern on their own. However, they can be contaminated with ethylene oxide, a known carcinogen, and 1,4-dioxane, reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen. They may also be linked to organ toxicity and reproduction toxicity.

Solutions: What To Do If Natural Deodorant Brands Don’t Work On You

When you pick a more “natural” deodorant without petroleum-based ingredients and find that it doesn’t work on you, don’t fret! There are things you can do to train your underarms to respond better to natural deodorant. You may not be able to control how much you sweat or moisture that comes from your sweat glands, but you can cut down on the bacteria and unpleasant smell that comes from your armpits with natural deodorants by doing an armpit cleanse.

Mamavation’s Armpit Cleanse Routine

There are a few simple steps you need to take to detox and safely switch to a natural deodorant. The following four steps make up Leah Segedie’s recommended cleanse:

1. After you stop using your current deodorant, use a loofah when showering to remove dead skin and from under your armpit;
2. Apply aluminum-free baking soda to armpits when wet, then apply your natural deodorant.
   • Sensitive Option: If you are sensitive to baking soda, as some people are, you can mix bentonite clay with apple cider vinegar and water to create a yogurt type of consistency for your armpit detox mask recipe instead. Mix it in a bowl with a metal spoon and apply an even layer.
3. Go about your normal day and when you smell an odor coming from your armpits, wash them with a wet washcloth or rinse them in the shower, and then apply aluminum-free baking soda again. After that, apply the natural deodorant again. Or if you are sensitive to baking soda, use the bentonite clay mixture again.
4. Repeat this process for up to two weeks or until your natural deodorant works for up to 6 hours.

Note that the first day you start this armpit cleanse, you may be repeating these steps 5 to 10 times in the first day, but with each application you should be able to go longer and longer. You may want to start this cleanse when you have time to spend indoors at home, like on the weekends. My own cleanse ended after the 4th day, and the average person takes 4-7 days to complete this cleanse. After this cleanse, your natural deodorant should work better and last longer.

If you find that you are sensitive to baking soda, red spots or irritation may develop on your armpits. Don’t worry, just pick up another type of deodorant that doesn’t have baking soda. Once you stop using it, those spots should go away.

Other Categories of Products Mamavation Has Tested for Indications of PFAS “Forever Chemicals”

Before we launch into the raw data from our lab, we wanted to remind you about all the other studies we have done on indications of PFAS “forever chemicals” inside the food and consumer products you may bring inside your home. Each one of these studies were done in a similar fashion as this study with brands sent independently to the lab and raw data of those labs at the bottom of the post.

• Soft Contact Lenses
• Green Beauty Makeup
• Lip Balm
• Condoms & Lubricants
• Dental Floss
• Toilet Paper
• Period Underwear
• Tampons
• Sanitary Pads, Pantiliners, & Incontinence Pads
• Powdered Electrolytes
• Butter Wrappers
• Pasta & Tomato Sauces
• Nut Butters (Peanut butter, etc.)
• Cooking Oils (olive oil, almond oil, canola oil, etc)
• Ketchup
• Activewear (Yoga Pants)
• Sports Bras
• Parchment Paper
• Cupcake Liners
• Plastic-Free Straws
• Fast Food Packaging
• Children’s Probiotics
• Kids’ Backpacks
• Baby Strollers

Mamavation’s Investigation of Deodorants & Indications of PFAS “Forever Chemicals”

Deodorants were purchased between February 2023 and February 2024. (Updated: Additional labs were added in August 2024 and March of 2025) For this consumer study, all products were purchased by Mamavation either at Walmart or from Amazon. Each product was recorded in our database and then sent directly to the lab within its original packaging.

Testing: Mamavation’s EPA-certified laboratory uses marker testing to identify the potential presence of PFAS “forever chemicals” in deodorants. Organic fluorine is a marker for PFAS because all PFAS chemicals are carbon-based compounds that contain fluorine. The specific lab method used to test for total fluorine was the Determination of Total Fluorine by Oxygen Flask Combustion and Ion-Selective Electrode. If total fluorine was observed at a detection level of 10 ppm or greater, the lab did the Determination of free Fluoride Ion in the product by Ion-Selective Electrode and then subtracted that from the Total Fluorine to determine the amount of organic fluorine. This marker testing is likely to show the presence of PFAS. Organic fluorine can also capture other fluoropolymers, pharmaceuticals, and common hydrofluorocarbon refrigerants, such as 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane (commonly known as R-134a) and 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene (commonly known as HFO-1234yf), which are all also PFAS.  None of which you want around your food, or personal care products like deodorants!

Scott Belcher, Ph.D. & Associate Professor with the Center for Environmental & Health Effects of PFAS at North Carolina State University says “fluoropolymers, such as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE),  are extremely common forms of PFAS that could be contributing to the organic fluorine found in deodorants. Methods used for detecting individual PFAS, such as PFOA or GenX, cannot directly identify PTFE. However, the analysis of total organic fluorine (TOF) does account for all PFAS contaminants in deodorants, including PTFE. Therefore, this method of testing serves as a good ‘spot-check’ of consumer products.”

Product Brands We Tested
To help our community make safer choices, Mamavation sent a wide range of deodorant and antiperspirant products to an EPA-certified laboratory for organic fluorine testing, a marker for PFAS “forever chemicals.” Below is the complete list of deodorant products included in our investigation.

Deodorant Brands Tested by Mamavation

• Amallow Natural Deodorant Unscented
• Apotheke DuJardin Tallow Deodorant Vanilla & Tea Tree
• Attitude Leaves Bar Deodorant Herbal Musk
• Attitude Oatmeal Sensitive Natural Baking Soda Free
• Bello Tallow Deodorant Peppermint Lemongrass
• Bello Tallow Deodorant Lux Blue Deodorant
• Brixy Magnesium Enriched DEO Ceramide & Niacinamide Aluminum Free Juniper Journey
• Degree MotionSense Ultraclear Black & White Pure Clean Invisible Solid Antiperspirant
• Degree Shower Clean Antiperspirant Deodorant
• Doterra Natural Deodorant Infused with Doterra Balance Grounding Blend Essential Oil
• Dove Advanced Care Go Fresh Cool Essentials Antiperspirant Deodorant
• Dr. Squatch Men’s Natural Deodorant Pine Tar
• Dr. Teals Aluminum Free Deodorant Magnesium Eucalyptus & Essential Oils
• Each & Every Rose & Vanilla Deodorant
• Earthley Wellness Mineral Deodorant (baking soda free)
• Godesana Clay & Tea Tree Clean Safe Deodorant
• Hello Sweet Coconut Deodorant
• Hey Humans Sandalwood Cypress Deodorant
• Holy Cow Organix Deodorant
• Humble Vanilla & Cardamom Baking Soda-Free Deodorant
• Jack Black Original Pit Boss Antiperspirant & Deodorant
• Just Ingredients Eucalyptus Mint Magnesium Deodorant
• Kopari Beach Deodorant
• Lauricidin Natural Deodorant Essential Orange
• Lume Whole Body Deodorant
• Magsol Magnesium Deodorant Smooth Glide Format Jasmine 100% Natural Deodorant
• milk + honey Baking Soda-Free Deodorant Lavender Tea Tree
• Mineralized Deodorant Powder Sensitive Unscented (baking soda free)
• Native Deodorant Coconut & Vanilla
• Native Whole Body Deodorant Unscented
• Norwex Lysere Prebiotic Deodorant with Aloe Vera & Witch Hazel Lavender Coconut
• OM Botanical Hops & Magnesium Deodorant
• Organic Jaguar Natural Vanilla Rose Deodorant Baking Soda & Aluminum Free
• Pittie Pop Midnight Vanilla Raw Honey Magnesium Zinc Argan Oil Vitamin E Deodorant
• Pit Buddy Jasmint Skin Friendly Natural Deodorant from Bubble & Bee
• Pit Perfect USDA Organic Peppermint Vanilla
• Pit Liquor 100% Natural Deodorant Simply Unscented
• Plant Powered Remedies Sensitive Baking Soda Free Natural Deodorant
• Pretty Frank Jasmine Natural Deodorant
• Primally Pure Deodorant Lavender
• Primally Pure Unscented Deodorant Baking Soda Free
• Primally Pure Charcoal Deodorant Baking Soda Free
• Public Goods Deodorant
• Pure Haven Baking Soda Coconut Peppermint Tea Tree Deodorant
• Pure Haven Non-Baking Soda Coconut Peppermint Tea Tree Deodorant
• Real Purity Roll-on Deodorant
• Rowe Casa Organics All Natural Deodorant Unscented
• Rustic Maka Fresh Active Luna Bliss Natural Deodorant
• Secret Lavender 48 HR Invisible Solid Antiperspirant
• Secret Clinical 72 hour invisible solid power protection Deodorant
• Secret 24 HR Invisible Solid Antiperspirant Powder Fresh
• Secret Whole Body Deodorant
• Shaklee Protect Deodorant
• Stinkbug Unscented Deodorant
• Suave Powder Invisible Solid Antiperspirant Deodorant
• Tom’s of Maine Aluminum Free Unscented Deodorant
• Toups & Co Organics Extra Strength Natural Deodorant Lime & Bergamot
• Truvani Organic Deodorant Vanilla Cedarwood (discontinued)
• Ursa Major Sublime Sage Spray Deodorant
• Zebra The Deodorant Wild Lavender Lemon

Want full access to the raw data, PFAS findings, and Mamavation’s recommendations for the safest deodorants? Join Mamagate in the sign-in box below and get Free Access to the complete buying guide with detailed lab results for every product. Make sure to use Internet Explorer, Chrome, or Safari for best viewing experience. Avoid using the Meta browser for access to this site. 

The post Indications of PFAS “Forever Chemicals” Found in Deodorants — Guide appeared first on MAMAVATION.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. This investigation is for information purposes only and does not qualify as medical advice. Please seek your doctor’s advice before starting any molecular hydrogen therapy regimes. 

Molecular Hydrogen Therapy Review of Clinical Studies

Molecular hydrogen therapy has generally demonstrated safety and numerous health benefits in clinical studies and trials, but it’s still important to check with your doctor before starting any new therapy. First off, hydrogen does not bind to hemoglobin in the bloodstream and thus has not induced heme-related toxic effects as other gases have. Animal and some human studies have not demonstrated harm, even across several delivery methods, including drinking H2-saturated water, inhaling H2 gas at different levels, injecting H₂-rich saline, and other methods such as topical application and dialysis. And finally, just to remind you, this gas has been employed by deep-sea divers to prevent decompression sickness for a long time with no side effects. For the purposes of this investigation, we will focus on gas inhalation and products to support those efforts.

By delivering hydrogen directly to the lungs via a hydrogen inhalation machine, this method enables faster absorption, making it a particularly appealing option for those seeking rapid results. Clinical studies and trials are the most important to look at because they are able to show you the truth beyond the placebo effect and marketing budgets.  Molecular hydrogen therapy seems to have positive effects when analyzing over 64 clinical studies and 81 registered clinical trials in some of the following categories:

• cardiovascular diseases,
• respiratory diseases,
• central nervous system disorders,
• infections,
• metabolic conditions and weight control,
• rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune diseases,
• inflammation and pain

It’s also important to know what we do NOT yet know about molecular hydrogen therapy, because those gaps in the science are important for you to understand when you are being marketed to by several companies trying to sell you something. Here are some examples of what the clinical and peer-reviewed research has not told us yet:

• We have major issues with regulation and standardization. There is a lack of standardized manufacturing and testing protocols, leading to wide variability in product quality. Very few of these devices are formally approved as medical treatments; thus, these products operate as “wellness tools,” some for clinical use and some for home use.
• We do not know what the optimal dosing, duration, and frequency should be. We know 150-600+ ml/min for inhalation shows benefits in studies, but we lack precise “dose response” data for specific conditions. Is more or less better? It’s unclear, but we have categorized all units in our reporting by flow rate and placed the more professional machines in our “best” category.
• We don’t know the long-term effects of people using inhalation machines daily. Most of these studies are short-term, lasting weeks or months. Data on humans’ daily use of these machines is very limited. So, are there any subtle long-term risks, such as effects on the gut microbiome, hormone balance, or adaptation/tolerance? This can’t be answered yet, but hopefully will in time.
• We don’t fully understand the mechanisms of action in humans. H2 is a selective antioxidant and signaling molecule, but the exact pathways (beyond Nrf2, inflammation markers, and mitochondrial support) are not fully mapped out in humans. Much of our understanding is based on animal studies, which are very useful but do not yet paint the full picture.
• We don’t understand yet which conditions it helps the most. There is strong preliminary evidence for oxidative stress-related issues like inflammation, metabolic syndrome, respiratory conditions, post-exercise recovery, and some neurological support. However, we have mixed or weak results for others, like advanced cancer stand-alone treatments and cognitive decline in healthy people. In other words, be careful about the marketing claims when people are selling you machines.
• We don’t yet understand the best delivery methods and combinations. So, although it would logically make sense that hydrogen inhalation machines would be better because they deliver more H2 to your body, we cannot say that based on clinical studies. We also do not know if these practices will interact with other medications, supplements, or other therapies so please discuss treatment with your doctor before you start.
• We don’t understand the variability and why different people respond differently. In other words, why do some people see dramatic effects while others see minimal effects? Could factors like age, genetics, gut health, baseline oxidative stress, and microbiome play a role in outcomes and individual results? Possibly.

Not All Hydrogen Inhalation Machines are Created Equal

So now that you’ve decided to try molecular hydrogen therapy and want to purchase a hydrogen inhalation machine or generator, which models are best for your situation? Not all hydrogen inhalation machines are created equal. They vary greatly in price, dose flow rate, saturation, warranties, and online reviews. Here are some key features to look into.

Warranty

Most hydrogen inhalation machines we found had at least a one-year warranty. A few did not have a warranty. But some have up to a five-year and even a ten-year warranty. Obviously, the better the warranty, the better the machine when used as directed.

Type of Hydrogen Inhalation Units

We found many types of hydrogen inhalation machines & generators for hydrogen gas production. Molecular hydrogen gas machines are typically found in one of three types of units:

• Desktop Units: These are typically larger and offer higher flow rates. They are ideal for home use and typically involve hydrogen via nasal cannula.
• Portable Units: These compact devices are perfect for those who need to travel with their machine or prefer a smaller footprint. These units typically offer lower doses based on their size.
• Multi-Function Units: Some machines can produce both hydrogen gas for inhalation and hydrogen water for drinking, offering versatile health benefits. Some of these units even come with googles for eye care and headphones for inner ear care.

Mamavation’s Investigation into Hydrogen Inhalation Machines

Mamavation reached out to the most popular brands producing hydrogen inhalation machines and asked them specific questions about their products. We asked them to confirm their dose, purity, airflow, whether they had platinum-titanium electrodes, the quality of their proton exchange membranes, and whether they had independent third-party testing.

After getting all the responses back, we separated the machines into three groups: Not our favorite, better, & best.

• Not Our Favorite Hydrogen Inhalation Machines: These are weaker machines that would not be considered professional-grade. They may be fine for home use, but they have a weaker dose and flow rate of less than 600 ml/min. None of these brands had 3rd-party independent testing to substantiate their claims. Some of these brands did not respond to our inquiries at all.
• Better Hydrogen Inhalation Machines: Claim to have a dose & flow rate of at least 600 ml/min, but lack independent 3rd-party testing to back up their claims.
• Best Hydrogen Inhalation Machines: These machines would be considered the most reputable and professional. They have a dose & flow rate of 600 ml/min and 3rd-party testing to back up their claims. However, in this category, you get what you pay for because they are pricy.

Not Our Favorite Hydrogen Inhalation Machines

These machines & companies do not have strong capabilities for hydrogen inhalation. They also do not offer 3rd party independent testing.

• 3-in-1 Portable Hydrogen Inhalation & Water Generator, (Cost:$459, Flowrate: 240 ml/min, Purity: 99.996%)
• AquaGreen Hydrogen Inhaler, (Cost: $459, Flowrate: 225 ml/min, Purity: 99.99% )
• ASHLGQB Hydrogen Inhalation Machine (Cost: $720, Flowrate: 450 ml/min, Purity: 99.99% )
• Generic Dual-Port Inhaler model (Cost: $664, Flowrate: 450-1350 ml/min (dual splits when used), Purity: 99.99%)
• Hydrogen Water Bottle Generator with Inhaler (Cost: $109, Flowrate: 350 ml/min, Purity: 99.99%)
• Plafnio Hydrogen Inhalation Machine (Cost: $570, Flowrate: 270 ml/min, Purity: 99.99%)
• Pomya Hydrogen Inhalation Machine (Cost: $550, Flowrate: 225 ml/min, Purity: 99.99%)
• VEVOR Hydrogen Inhalation Machine (Cost: $329, Flowrate: 180 ml/min, Purity: 99.99% )
• VEVOR Hydrogen Inhalation Machine (Cost: $309, Flowrate: 225 ml/min, Purity: 99.99%)

Better Hydrogen Inhalation Machines

These machines & companies claim to have strong capabilities of 600 ml/min or above but do not offer independent laboratory reports to substantiate their claims.

• Axiom H2 HW600 (Cost: $6,500, Flowrate: 600 ml/min, Purity: 99.99% )
• FXNFXLA Hydrogen Inhalation Machine (Cost: $1,500, Flowrate: 1,500 ml/min, Purity: 99.99%)
• HLTH Hydrogen/Oxygen Inhalation Machine (Cost: $7,000, Flowrate: 600 ml/min, Purity: 99.99%)
• Promolife H2 Inhalation and Drinking System (Cost: $2,395, Flowrate: 850 ml/min, Purity: 66% mixed Brown’s gas)
• Vital Reaction Clinical Hydrogen Inhaler (Cost: $6,000-$9,000, Flowrate: 600-3,000 ml/min, Purity: 99.9%)

Best Hydrogen Inhalation Machines

These machines are professional-grade, and companies offered proof of their claims by sharing independent laboratory reports.

• DaVinci Medical H2-600 (Cost: $2,445, Flowrate: 900 ml/min, Purity: 99.99%)
• ECHO Refresh Hydrogen Inhalation Machine (Use discount code “MAMAVATION” for 10% off products)(Cost:$7,499, Flowrate: 1,800 ml/min (dual), Purity: 99.99%)
• H2HUBB HX900 (Cost: $2,374, Flowrate: 900 ml/min, Purity: 99.99% )
• H2ForWellness Hydro-Qube (Cost: $7,900, Flowrate: 1,900 ml/min, Purity: 99.99% )
• Jintvo Hydrogen Inhalation Machine (Cost: $900-$1,300, Flowrate: 900-1,800 ml/min, Purity: 99.99%)
• Qlife H2 Respire (Cost: $3,105, Flowrate: 999 ml/min, Purity: 99% )

The post Molecular Hydrogen Therapy & Hydrogen Inhalation Machines & Generators appeared first on MAMAVATION.

Disclosure: This consumer study is released in partnership with Environmental Health News. Donations were provided by Environmental Health News and Mamavation community members. Note that Mamavation has only “spot-checked” the industry and thus we cannot make predictions about brands and products that we have not tested. Products and manufacturing aides can change without notice so buyer beware. This post contains affiliate links, with most to Amazon, which means Mamavation will receive a portion of those sales and we will use that to pay ourselves back for the testing. You can also give a tax-deductible donation to our consumer studies here through Environmental Health Sciences. All Mamavation testing data is proprietary. If you’re interested in referencing our data on your website or app, please reach out to discuss licensing agreements. Copyright © 2026 Mamavation — All Rights Reserved

Mamavation Found Arsenic, Lead, & Cadmium in Rice

How much arsenic is in a typical cup of rice? Let’s find out. Previous studies have found high levels of arsenic in most rice products, so we created a rice consumer study tailored to the exact needs of Mamavation community members. Mamavation sent 56 rice & rice noodle products to an EPA-certified laboratory to test for total arsenic, lead, cadmium, & mercury. Because rice is the most significant source of arsenic (other than drinking water) that most Americans consume daily, we relied on donations from our audience to test exactly what they were already using.

Jasmine rice, basmati rice, brown rice, long-grain rice, parboiled rice, sushi rice, heirloom rice, forbidden rice, & ramen rice noodles were all sent to the laboratory and were found to contain various levels of arsenic and other heavy metals. Here are some of the main findings:

• 100% of rice samples contained detectable total arsenic. That’s 56 out of 56 rice products. One wheat product (Orzo) had no detectable total arsenic.
• Rice arsenic levels ranged from 0.013 ug/g to 0.289 ug/g total arsenic. This can also be described as 13 to 289 parts per billion (ppb).
• The average rice product contamination was 113 total arsenic. 
• Highest Arsenic Products: Mamavation sent two products with over 10 mcg of total arsenic per 45 mg of rice for further testing of inorganic arsenic. They came back with concerning levels of inorganic arsenic– 175 ppb and 222 ppb total inorganic arsenic. These samples were from China, Heilongjiang Province, and Louisiana.
• Geography of Highest Arsenic: Rice products with the highest total arsenic were from China, Thailand, Louisiana, Texas, & South Carolina.
• Geography of Lowest Arsenic: Rice products with the lowest total arsenic were from California, India, Korea, Vietnam, Thailand, & China.

Linda S. Birnbaum, Scientist Emeritus and Former Director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and National Toxicology Program & Scholar in Residence at Duke University, Adjunct Professor at the University of North Carolina, & Yale University, had this to say after she reviewed this consumer study: “Pay close attention to how much arsenic is in your rice if you are raising young children or are pregnant. Mamavation has made this easy for you to navigate with its rice testing. Overall, this is a big problem for women who are pregnant, feeding small children, and people who consume lots of rice. So if you eat lots of rice, it’s best to opt for safer brands or types of rice lower in arsenic.”

Health-Related Impacts Linked to Overconsumption of Arsenic

Arsenic is a carcinogen that, with chronic exposure, is linked to bladder, lung, and skin cancers. Its most toxic form, inorganic arsenic, is found in the environment and around industrial processes. Early-life exposures to inorganic arsenic in utero are especially dangerous. Here are some additional health-related impacts linked to overconsumption of arsenic.

• Spontaneous abortion & stillbirths
• Increase in preterm births
• Neurodevelopmental disorders
• Behavioral disorders
• Cancer (bladder, lung & skin cancers)
• Skin lesions
• Cardiovascular disease
• Diabetes

For most of the world, exposure to arsenic is through contaminated groundwater. Inorganic arsenic is naturally present at high levels in groundwater in Argentina, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Chile, China, India, Mexico, Pakistan, the United States of America, and Vietnam.  Acute poisoning results in vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea, followed by numbness and tingling of the extremities, muscle cramping, and even death, in extreme cases. Children are especially vulnerable to arsenic, and in such rare cases, they are referred to a medical toxicologist, Poison Control Center, or Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit for possible chelation therapy. You can check the arsenic levels in your public water district here, through the Environmental Working Group’s Tapwater Database.

How to Lower Arsenic Exposure for Children

If you are pregnant or caring for small children, lowering your exposure to arsenic is important. There are many things you can do, and we would love to help you get started!

• Drinking Water: The official recommendation from health professionals is to consider drinking bottled water in areas with elevated arsenic levels in the drinking water. You can check the water in your area here. Unfortunately, boiling water does not remove arsenic. However, we also worry a bit about exposing children to microplastics in bottled water, so perhaps the best solution is to get a good water purifier for your home. Finding a good water purifier that can reduce arsenic levels is tricky. Most systems do not filter arsenic well, but we have linked some reliable systems that can handle it below. Here are our three water filter recommendations specifically for handling arsenic in water:
  •  Clearly Filtered 3 Stage Under the Sink Water Filtration System with Affinity Filtration Technology (or you can alternatively use their Clearly Filtered Water Pitcher with Affinity Filtration Technology)  (This link will deduct 10% off purchase.) 
  • AquaSauna SmartFlow Reverse Osmosis (Use discount code “MAMAVATION” for 10% off purchases!)
  •  AQUA TRU Countertop Water Filtration Reverse Osmosis or Under the Sink model (This link will automatically deduct $100 off a unit for you at checkout.)
• Diet: Generally, varied diets based on whole foods are recommended rather than relying on prepackaged rice products.
  • Limit consumption of anything derived from rice, like rice syrups or rice cereals. Check the ingredients in your packaged foods and limit the amount of rice-containing food you consume.
  • Iron-fortified rice cereal is not the best first grain for infants; instead, other options such as oats, barley, and multigrain cereals should be introduced. These alternative grains can become a staple among older kids too.
  • Preparing Rice: When preparing rice for children, rinse it before cooking. Cook the rice in plenty of water, as you would pasta. The arsenic will leach from the rice into the water, and you can dump it out. This will reduce the total amount of arsenic you are exposed to.
• Limit consumption of fruit juices, especially grape and apple. Here are our recommendations for the safest apple juice brands based on a prior study released by Consumer Reports looking at arsenic levels:
  • 365 Everyday Value (Whole Foods) Organic Apple Juice, 100% Juice
  • Juicy Juice Organics 100% Juice, Apple (single juice box)
  • Honest Kids Organic Juice Drink, Goodness Grapeness (single juice box)
  • Simply Balanced (Target) Organic Apple Juice, 100% Juice
• Avoid Chromated Copper Arsenate (CCA) when treating wood or decking and opt for safer alternatives. Here are some better options for decking and furniture.
  • Vermont Natural Coatings Bohme’s Terra Plus Exterior Deck Stain
  • Vermont Natural Coatings Penetrating Waterproofer Infused with Juniper
  • Vermont Natural Coatings PolyWhey Exterior Penetrating Stain
  • Rubio Monocoat Hybrid Wood Protector
• Avoid allowing your children to play in dirt around industrial areas, especially locations with smelters, welders, woodworkers, chemical plants, glass manufacturing, and maintenance crews.

Types of Rice — What We Tested

There are two main types of rice: Indica and Japonica. Indica rice, better known as long-grain rice, such as Basmati and Jasmine rice, is long and slim. Japonica rice is a medium to short-grain rice and is stickier, shorter, or rounder. Wild rice is not true rice because it comes from a grass family, but we know you eat it so we won’t be splitting hairs here. Here are the types of rice we tested, broken into categories:

• Basmati Rice — Basmati rice is a long-grained rice with a nutty flavor and aroma. This type of rice becomes very fluffy when cooked and is used in South Asian and Middle Eastern cuisines.
• Jasmine Rice — Jasmine rice is another long-grained rice with a floral scent and slightly sweet flavor, native to Southeast Asia. Jasmine rice from Thailand is also known as “Thai Hom Mali”.
• Brown Rice — Brown rice is a whole-grain rice containing the rice kernel, including the germ and the endosperm. This rice is higher in fiber. Technically, any other rice that maintains its structure can be brown rice. Brown rice typically has more arsenic than white rice because of the hull.
• Black “Forbidden” Rice — considered a whole grain because it has retained its bran, germ, and endosperm. It’s very dark in color and less popular in the US than other rice categories.
• Wild Rice — This rice has more fiber and protein than other rices. The colors can vary.
• Rice Noodles — We included this category for noodles made from rice. Some products are transparent about what type of rice they use, while others are not.
• Parboiled — This rice is partially cooked in the husk, and then the husk is removed. This is also referred to as “easy cook” rice.
• Sushi & Other Short-Grain Rice — This category is a general section where we have to stuff many additional types of rice, like sushi rice and sticky rice.

How Arsenic Finds Its Way Into Rice & Rice Cereals

How does arsenic contaminate rice? The answer to that question is both complicated and straightforward. Rice is the number one source of arsenic for most Americans, but if you eat lots of chicken, mushrooms, or seafood, your arsenic levels may be even higher. Here are the main exposure pathways for arsenic in rice:

• Geographic locations and farming practices in that area can affect arsenic levels in rice. For instance, rice from California may have less arsenic than rice from Texas or Louisiana.
• Rice paddies take up more arsenic than other plants, so the naturally present arsenic will increase in rice in a way that doesn’t happen in other plants.
• The local water supply may have higher arsenic levels, and if used for irrigation, it will increase arsenic levels in rice. Certain areas, such as Los Angeles, Houston, & Spokane, have higher levels of arsenic in their water.
• Legacy Pesticide Use: Rice farms that were once used for other crops, such as cotton or tobacco, may already have arsenic contamination in the soil from prior pesticide use.
• Most rice paddy farms are heavily irrigated, turning them into mud patches that never dry out and, over time, concentrate arsenic.
• Arsenic-containing drugs: Sometimes arsenic-containing drugs and feed additives are fed to chickens to keep them from getting sick, but this also increases arsenic in their feces. This arsenic-filled chicken poop can be used in composting, which can then enter the general food supply and be taken up by plants or eaten by farm animals.

Best Rice Cookers

We’ve been researching the safest cookware and small kitchen appliances for years, so we wanted to share with you the safest rice cookers free from PFAS “forever chemical” coatings. Most rice cookers are coated with PFAS “forever chemicals” or different coatings containing nanoparticles. The safest options for rice cookers are stainless steel, cladding materials, or uncoated ceramic, and they can make perfect rice with a fluffy texture. The stainless steel inner rice bowl should be dishwasher-safe, not the entire machine. Not all accessories are approved if they are made of plastic, such as a plastic steamer basket or plastic rice paddle. Most of these machines have a tempered glass lid and a safe heating element, and they can also be set to warm mode to keep warm. Increasing the water ratio in the rice cooker and then tossing the excess water helps reduce arsenic in each bowl of rice.

• Aroma Housewares Select Stainless Rice Cooker & Warmer
• Aroma Housewares Black Select 6 Cup Stainless Rice Cooker & Warmer
• Aroma Housewares Red Select 6 cup Stainless Rice Cooker & Warmer
• Buffalo Classic Rice Cooker (with Clad Stainless Steel Inner Pot) – 5 Cups
• Buffalo White IH Smart Cooker, Rice Cooker & Warmer 
• Elite Gourmet 6 Cup Rice Cooker
• Tatung Stainless Steel Rice Cooker
• Vita Clay 2-n-1 Chef Rice Cooker (Use discount code “MAMAVATION” for $30 off products)
• Vita Clay Smart Organic Rice Cooker (Use discount code “MAMAVATION” for $30 off products)(This brand has low levels of lead inside the ceramic. All public migration labs commissioned by the brand have been non-detect. However, the lead levels found by independent bloggers are below 90 ppm on food-contact surfaces, which is considered very low for ceramic. Because the State of California bases lead exposure on migration testing for small kitchen appliances, this brand does not require a Prop. 65 warning because it doesn’t leach lead at the levels that are concerning. So, can you find lead in there? Yes. Is it leaching in a concerning way? The State of CA would say no.)

Interested in other small kitchen appliances and cookware investigations? Here are some additional studies we have done that you may be interested in:

Cookware & Bakeware

• Cookware
• Ceramic Cookware
• Stainless Steel Cookware
• Cupcake & Muffin Pans
• Baking Sheets, Cookie Sheets, and Sheet Pans

Other Kitchen Accessories

• Glass Measuring Cups
• Kitchen Utensils
• Cutting Boards
• Reusable Water Bottles

Small Kitchen Appliances

• Water Filters
• Air Fryers & Air Fryer Ovens
• Juicers
• Kitchen Stand Mixers
• Rice Cookers
• Waffle Makers
• Indoor Kitchen Grills & Paninis
• Blenders
• Nut Milk Makers
• Food Processors
• Toasters & Toaster Ovens
• Outdoor Grills & BBQs
• Ice Cream Makers
• Slow Cookers
• Espresso Machines & Mokas
• Electric Kettles

Food Packaging

• Disposable plates & foodware
• Cupcake Liners
• Plastic Free Disposable Straws
• Sandwich Bags like Ziploc

Serving & Plating

• Dishes & Dishware
• Silverware

Mamavation’s Investigation on Rice Tested for Arsenic, Lead, Cadmium, & Mercury

To recap, Mamavation sent 56 rice products to an EPA-certified laboratory to be tested for arsenic, cadmium, mercury & lead. 100% of rice products had detectable amounts of total arsenic.

Mamavation accepted rice donations from women across the United States in the following categories: jasmine rice, basmati rice, sushi rice, long-grain rice, brown rice, rice noodles, forbidden rice, wild rice, and parboiled rice. After receiving the rice, we recorded the information, took pictures, and sent the products to an EPA-certified laboratory for analysis. Rice that was above 0.22 mcg/g (10 mcg of arsenic per 45-gram serving), was sent back for more inorganic arsenic testing. We then estimated inorganic arsenic in other products by using a summary assessment of inorganic arsenic in rice published in 2024. Based on that study, we estimated that inorganic arsenic accounts for 72.7% of the total arsenic found. We included those estimates for all products in the raw data below.

We divided the rice products into 3 categories according to contamination levels. These levels reflect the overall heavy metal contamination in each product but do not align with specific government recommendations.

• ug/g = 1 ppm = 1000 ppb
• ug/kg = 1 ppb
• <MRL means less than “maximum residue limit,” which means it can be found, but it’s so small it can’t be quantified.
• ND = non-detect

Product Brands We Tested
To help our community make safer choices, Mamavation sent a wide range of popular rice products to our EPA-certified laboratory for heavy metal testing.

• 4Sisters & a Rice Farm in Louisiana Extra Long Grain Organic Brown Rice
• 365 WFM Organic Thai Jasmine White Rice
• 365 WFM Organic White Rice Long Grain 
• Azure Market Organic Heirloom Rice Basmati, White
• Azure Market Organic Heirloom Rice Basmati, Brown
• Azure Market Organic Brown Basmati Rice Imported
• Azure Market Organic White Basmati Rice Imported
• Bowl & Basket Basmati Rice Extra Long Grain (ShopRite)
• Carolina Plantation Carolina Gold Rice 
• Goya Thai Jasmine Rice Imported by Thailand
• Great Value Jasmine Rice Thai Hom Mali
• Jasberry Organic Superfood Rice
• Khazana Organic Sona Masoori Rice 
• Koda Farms Organic/Biologique Kokuho Rose Medium Grain Rice Riz Complet Au Terroir Heirloom Rice California Grown (Blue bag) 
• Koda Farms Organic/Biologique Kokuho Rose Medium Grain Brown Rice Riz a Grain Moyen Au Terroir Heirloom Rice California Grown (Green/Yellow bag) 
• Lotus Foods Organic Forbidden Rice Whole Grain Heirloom
• Lotus Foods Organic Red Rice 
• Lotus Foods Organic Jade Pearl Rice Ramen
• Lotus Foods Organic Brown Pad Thai Rice Noodles
• Lotus Foods Organic Jade Pearl Rice
• Lotus Foods Organic Millet & Brown Rice Ramen Red Miso Soup
• Lotus Foods Millet & Brown Rice Ramen Red Miso Soup (not organic)
• Lotus Foods Organic Traditional Pad Thai Rice Noodles
• Lotus Foods Organic Traditional Pho Rice Noodles 100% Heirloom Rice
• Lotus Foods Organic Brown Udon Rice Noodles 100% Brown & White Rice
• Lotus Food Heirloom Kalijira Rice Organic White Quick Cook Rice (Now called Lotus Foods Organic White Baby Basmati Rice Regenerative Organic Certified)
• Lotus Foods Organic Brown Basmati Rice Regenerative Organic Certified
• Lotus Foods Organic White Basmati Rice Regenerative Organic Certified
• Lotus Foods Organic Brown Jasmine Rice 
• Lotus Foods Organic Brown Basmati Rice Regenerative Organic Certified
• Lotus Foods Organic Buckwheat & Brown Soba Rice Noodles 100% Organic Whole Grains
• Lotus Foods Organic White Jasmine & Forbidden Rice for Microwave 
• Lundberg Family Farms Organic California Brown Basmati Gourmet Rice
• Lundberg Family Farms Black Pearl Rice Regenerative Organic Certified
• Lundberg Family Farms Organic Sprouted Brown Basmati Gourmet Rice
• Lundberg Family Farms Sustainable California White Basmati Gourmet Rice (not organic)
• Lundberg Family Farms Organic Brown Rice Short Grain Regenerative Organic Certified
• Lundberg Family Farms Organic Sprouted Brown Short Grain Gourmet Rice
• Lundberg Family Farms Sustainable Wild Blend Gourmet rice
• Lundberg Family Farms Organic California Brown Gourmet Rice BASMATI
• Lundberg Family Farms Regenerative Organic Certified White Rice Sushi
• Lundberg Family Farms Jasmine White Rice Regenerative Organic Certified
• Lundberg Family Farms Jasmine White Rice Regenerative Organic Certified
• Lundberg Family Farms Long Grain White Rice Regenerative Organic Certified
• Mahatma America’s Favorite Rice Extra Long Enriched Rice
• Massa Organics Brown Rice
• Now Food Organic Raw Sprouted Brown Rice
• Ocean’s Halo Organic Rice Noodles
• Ocean’s Halo Organic Ramen Noodles
• Ocean’s Halo Organic Short Grain Sticky Rice for Sushi
• Parish Rice Higher Protein Certified Cajun GMO Free 
• Planet Rice Organic Sprouted Brown Medium Grain Rice
• Riceselect Black Premium Black Rice
• Royal Authentic Basmati Rice (not organic)
• Royal Organic Basmati Rice
• Texas Best Organic Rices White Jasmine Rice
• Thrive Market Organic White Jasmine Rice
• The Fresh Market Organic Basmati Long Grain Rice
• Trader Joe’s Organic Jasmine Rice from Thailand
• Trader Joe’s Organic Basmati Rice
• Trader Joe’s ORZO Macaroni Product (Technically not rice, because it’s made from wheat, but we included it anyway because you asked us to.)

Not Our Favorite Rice

All products had detectable arsenic. However, products in this category contained more than 0.15 ug/g of total arsenic. The estimated inorganic arsenic is 72.7% of the total arsenic found. * means the arsenic amount was so high that we sent it back to the lab to test for inorganic arsenic instead of doing an estimation of inorganic arsenic.

Not Our Favorite Basmati Rice

• Nothing to report in this category. 

Not Our Favorite Brown Rice

• Nothing to report in this category. 

Not Our Favorite Jasmine Rice

• Texas Best Organic Rices White Jasmine Rice — 0.183 ug/g total arsenic, 0.133 ug/g estimated inorganic arsenic, 0.01 ug/g cadmium, non-detect lead, & non-detect mercury.

Not Our Favorite Long-Grain Rice

• *4Sisters & a Rice Farm in Louisiana Extra Long Grain Organic Brown Rice–– 0.289 ug/g total arsenic, 0.175 ug/g inorganic arsenic, 0.012 ug/g cadmium, non-detect lead, & <MRL mercury.
• 365 WFM Organic White Rice Long Grain — 0.208 ug/g total arsenic, 0.151 ug/g estimated inorganic arsenic, 0.029 ug/g cadmium, non-detect lead, <MRL mercury.
• Carolina Plantation Carolina Gold Rice — 0.206 ug/g total arsenic, 0.149 ug/g estimated inorganic arsenic, 0.043 ug/g cadmium, non-detect lead, & non-detect mercury.
• Mahatma America’s Favorite Rice Extra Long Enriched Rice — 0.19 ug/g total arsenic, 0.138 ug/g estimated inorganic arsenic, 0.018 ug/g cadmium, non-detect lead, & non-detect mercury.
• Parish Rice Higher Protein Certified Cajun GMO Free — 0.189 ug/g total arsenic, 0.137 ug/g estimated inorganic arsenic, 0.003 ug/g cadmium, non-detect lead, & non-detect mercury.

Not Our Favorite Miscellaneous Rice

• Jasberry Organic Superfood Rice — 0.15 ug/g total arsenic, 0.109 ug/g estimated inorganic arsenic, 0.07 ug/g cadmium, <MRL lead, & non-detect mercury.
• *Lotus Foods Organic Forbidden Rice Whole Grain Heirloom — 0.278 ug/g total arsenic, 0.222 ug/g inorganic arsenic, non-detect cadmium, <MRL lead, & non-detect mercury.
• Lundberg Family Farms Black Pearl Rice Regenerative Organic Certified — 0.195 ug/g total arsenic, 0.142 ug/g estimated inorganic arsenic, 0.05 ug/g cadmium, 0.05 ug/g cadmium, <MRL lead, & 0.042 ug/g mercury.
• Lotus Foods Organic Red Rice — 0.196 ug/g total arsenic, 0.142 ug/g estimated inorganic arsenic, 0.004 ug/g cadmium, <MRL lead, & non-detect mercury.
• Riceselect Black Premium Black Rice — 0.204 ug/g total arsenic, 0.148 ug/g estimated inorganic arsenic, 0.011 ug/g cadmium, <MRL lead, & non-detect mercury.

Not Our Favorite Ramen & Rice Noodles

• Lotus Foods Organic Jade Pearl Rice Ramen: 0.17 ug/g total arsenic, 0.12 ug/g estimated inorganic arsenic, <MRL cadmium, 0.01 ug/g lead, & non-detect mercury.
• Lotus Foods Organic Brown Rice Pad Thai Rice Noodles: 0.16 ug/g total arsenic, 0.12 ug/g estimated inorganic arsenic, 0.01 ug/g cadmium, 0.01 ug/g lead, & non-detect mercury.

Not Our Favorite Sushi Rice

• Nothing to report in this category. 

Better Rice

All products had detectable arsenic. However, products in this category had between 0.1 and 0.14 ug/g of total arsenic. The FDA has an action level of 100 parts per billion (ppb), or 0.1 ug/g, for inorganic arsenic in infant formula. Some products may have lower arsenic levels, but they were not organic, so they were placed in this category. The estimated inorganic arsenic is 72.7% of the total arsenic found, based on a summary assessment.

Better Basmati Rice

• Bowl & Basket Basmati Rice Extra Long Grain (ShopRite): 0.115 ug/g total arsenic, 0.08 ug/g estimated inorganic arsenic, 0.03 ug/g cadmium, <MRL lead, & non-detect mercury
• Lundberg Family Farms Organic Sprouted Brown Basmati Gourmet Rice: 0.102 ug/g total arsenic, 0.07 ug/g estimated inorganic arsenic, 0.015 ug/g cadmium, <MRL lead, & non-detect mercury
• Lundberg Family Farms Sustainable California White Basmati Gourmet Rice (not organic): 0.079 ug/g total arsenic, 0.05 ug/g estimated inorganic arsenic, 0.012 ug/g cadmium, non-detect lead, & non-detect mercury
• Royal Authentic Basmati Rice (not organic): 0.038 ug/g total arsenic, 0.02 ug/g estimated inorganic arsenic, 0.007 ug/g cadmium, <MRL lead, & non-detect mercury

Better Brown Rice

• Koda Farms Organic/Biologique Kokuho Rose Medium Grain Brown Rice Riz a Grain Moyen Au Terr0ir Heirloom Rice California Grown (Green/Yellow bag) — 0.136 ug/g total arsenic, 0.099 ug/g estimated inorganic arsenic, 0.003 ug/g cadmium, <MRL lead, & non-detect mercury.
• Lundberg Family Farms Organic Brown Rice Short Grain Regenerative Organic Certified— 0.11 ug/g total arsenic, 0.08 ug/g estimated inorganic arsenic, 0.003 ug/g cadmium, non-detect lead, & non-detect mercury.
• Lundberg Family Farms Organic Sprouted Brown Short Grain Gourmet Rice— 0.102 ug/g total arsenic, 0.074 ug/g estimated inorganic arsenic, 0.015 ug/g cadmium, <MRL lead, & non-detect mercury.
• Massa Organics Brown Rice— 0.134 ug/g total arsenic, 0.097 ug/g estimated inorganic arsenic, 0.005 ug/g cadmium, non-detect lead, & non-detect mercury.
• Now Food Organic Raw Sprouted Brown Rice— 0.12 ug/g total arsenic, 0.087 ug/g estimated inorganic arsenic, 0.005 ug/g cadmium, non-detect lead, & non-detect mercury.

Better Jasmine Rice

• 365 WFM Organic Thai Jasmine White Rice — 0.11 ug/g total arsenic, 0.08 ug/g estimated inorganic arsenic, 0.005 ug/g cadmium, non-detect lead, & non-detect mercury
• Goya Thai Jasmine Rice Imported by Thailand — 0.11 ug/g total arsenic, 0.08 ug/g estimated inorganic arsenic, 0.005 ug/g cadmium, 0.006 ug/g lead, & non-detect mercury
• *Great Value Jasmine Rice Thai Hom Mali — 0.084 ug/g total arsenic, 0.061 ug/g estimated inorganic arsenic, 0.007 ug/g cadmium, non-detect lead, & non-detect mercury
• Thrive Market Organic White Jasmine Rice — 0.135 ug/g total arsenic, 0.098 ug/g estimated inorganic arsenic, 0.006 ug/g cadmium, non-detect lead, & non-detect mercury
• Trader Joe’s Organic Jasmine Rice from Thailand — 0.106 ug/g total arsenic, 0.077 ug/g estimated inorganic arsenic, 0.004 ug/g cadmium, non-detect lead, & non-detect mercury

Better Long Grain Rice

• Nothing to report in this category. 

Better Miscellaneous Rice

• Lundberg Family Farms Sustainable Wild Blend Gourmet Rice — 0.118 ug/g total arsenic, 0.086 ug/g estimated inorganic arsenic, 0.011 ug/g cadmium, non-detect lead, & non-detect mercury.
• Lotus Foods Organic Jade Pearl Rice — 0.137 ug/g total arsenic,  0.099 ug/g estimated inorganic arsenic, non-detect cadmium, <MRL lead, & non-detect mercury.

Better Ramen & Rice Noodles

• Lotus Foods Organic Millet & Brown Rice Ramen Red Miso Soup: 0.11 ug/g total arsenic, 0.08 ug/g estimated inorganic arsenic, 0.01 ug/g cadmium, 0.05 ug/g lead,  & non-detect mercury. (Use discount code “MAMAVATION” for 10% off products!) (Or buy on Amazon here.)
• Lotus Foods Millet & Brown Rice Ramen Red Miso Soup (not organic): 0.13 ug/g total arsenic, 0.09 ug/g estimated inorganic arsenic, 0.06 ug/g cadmium, 0.13 ug/g lead, & non-detect mercury. (Use discount code “MAMAVATION” for 10% off products!) (Or buy on Amazon here.)
• Lotus Foods Organic Traditional Pad Thai Rice Noodles:  0.10 ug/g total arsenic, 0.08 ug/g estimated inorganic arsenic, 0.07 ug/g cadmium, <MRL lead, & non-detect mercury. (Use discount code “MAMAVATION” for 10% off purchase) (Or buy on Amazon here)
• Lotus Foods Organic Traditional Pho Rice Noodles 100% Heirloom Rice: 0.11 ug/g total arsenic, 0.08 ug/g estimated inorganic arsenic, 0.01 ug/g cadmium, 0.02 ug/g lead, & non-detect mercury. (Use discount code “MAMAVATION” for 10% off products!) (Or buy on Amazon here)
• Lotus Foods Organic Brown Udon Rice Noodles 100% Brown & White Rice: 0.13 ug/g total arsenic, 0.09 ug/g estimated inorganic arsenic, <MRL cadmium, 0.01 ug/g lead, & non-detect mercury. (Use discount code “MAMAVATION” for 10% off products!) (Or buy on Amazon here)

Better Sushi Rice

• Nothing to report in this category.  

Best Rice

Most products had detectable arsenic. However, products in our “best” category had less than 0.1 ug/g of total arsenic. The FDA has an action level of 100 parts per billion (ppb), or 0.1 ug/g, for inorganic arsenic in infant formula. <MRL means less than “maximum residue limit,” which translates to it can be found, but it’s so small it can’t be quantified. The estimated inorganic arsenic is 72.7% of the total arsenic found.

Best Basmati Rice

• Azure Market Organic Heirloom Rice Basmati, White: 0.059 ug/g total arsenic, 0.04 ug/g estimated inorganic arsenic,  <MRL cadmium, 0.011 ug/g lead, & non-detect mercury
• Azure Market Organic Heirloom Rice Basmati, Brown: 0.094 ug/g total arsenic, 0.06 ug/g estimated inorganic arsenic, 0.003 ug/g cadmium, 0.063 ug/g lead, & non-detect mercury
• Azure Market Organic Brown Basmati Rice Imported: 0.098 ug/g total arsenic, 0.07 ug/g estimated inorganic arsenic, 0.003 ug/g cadmium, 0.061 ug/g lead, & non-detect mercury
• Azure Market Organic White Basmati Rice Imported: 0.077 ug/g total arsenic, 0.05 ug/g estimated inorganic arsenic, 0.003 ug/g cadmium, 0.03 ug/g lead, & non-detect mercury
• Lotus Food Heirloom Kalijira Rice Organic White Quick Cook Rice (Now called Lotus Foods Organic White Baby Basmati Rice Regenerative Organic Certified): 0.09 ug/g total arsenic, 0.06 ug/g estimated inorganic arsenic, 0.024 ug/g cadmium, <MRL lead, & non-detect mercury. (Use discount code “MAMAVATION” for 10% off your order!) (Or purchase on Amazon here)
• Lotus Foods Organic Brown Basmati Rice Regenerative Organic Certified: 0.081 ug/g total arsenic, 0.05 ug/g estimated inorganic arsenic, 0.031 ug/g cadmium, 0.012 ug/g lead, & non-detect mercury (Use discount code “MAMAVATION” for 10% off your purchase!) (Or purchase on Amazon here)
• Lotus Foods Organic White Basmati Rice Regenerative Organic Certified: 0.036 ug/g total arsenic, 0.026 ug/g estimated inorganic arsenic, 0.023 ug/g cadmium, 0.008 ug/g lead, & non-detect mercury (Use discount code “MAMAVATION” for 10% off your purchase!)(Or purchase on Amazon here)
• Lundberg Family Farms Organic Basmati California Brown Gourmet Rice: 0.065 ug/g total arsenic, 0.04 ug/g estimated inorganic arsenic, 0.004 ug/g cadmium, <MRL lead, & non-detect mercury
• Royal Organic Basmati Rice: 0.044 ug/g total arsenic, 0.03 ug/g estimated inorganic arsenic, 0.041 ug/g cadmium, <MRL lead, & non-detect mercury
• The Fresh Market Organic Basmati Long Grain Rice: 0.052 ug/g total arsenic, 0.03 ug/g estimated inorganic arsenic, 0.04 ug/g cadmium, <MRL lead, & non-detect mercury
• Trader Joe’s Organic Basmati Rice: 0.058 ug/g total arsenic, 0.04 ug/g estimated inorganic arsenic, 0.03 ug/g cadmium, non-detect lead, & non-detect mercury

Best Brown Rice

• Azure Market Organic Heirloom Rice Basmati, Brown — 0.094 ug/g total arsenic, 0.068 ug/g estimated inorganic arsenic, 0.003 ug/g cadmium, 0.063 ug/g lead, & non-detect mercury.
• Azure Market Organic Brown Basmati Rice Imported — 0.098 ug/g total arsenic, 0.071 ug/g estimated inorganic arsenic, 0.003 ug/g cadmium, 0.061 ug/g lead, & non-detect mercury.
• Lotus Foods Organic Brown Jasmine Rice  — 0.046 ug/g total arsenic, 0.033 ug/g estimated inorganic arsenic, <MRL cadmium, <MRL lead, & non-detect mercury (Use discount code “MAMAVATION” for 10% off your order!) (Or Purchase on Amazon here.)
• Lotus Foods Organic Brown Basmati Rice Regenerative Organic Certified: 0.081 ug/g total arsenic, 0.05 ug/g estimated inorganic arsenic, 0.031 ug/g cadmium, 0.012 ug/g lead, & non-detect mercury (Use discount code “MAMAVATION” for 10% off your purchase!) (Or purchase it on Amazon here)
• Lundberg Family Farms Organic Basmati California Brown Gourmet Rice— 0.065 ug/g total arsenic, 0.047 ug/g estimated inorganic arsenic, 0.004 ug/g cadmium, <MRL lead, & non-detect mercury.
• Planet Rice Organic Sprouted Brown Medium Grain Rice— 0.088 ug/g total arsenic, 0.063 ug/g estimated inorganic arsenic, 0.022 ug/g cadmium, non-detect lead, & non-detect mercury.

Best Jasmine Rice

• Lotus Foods Organic Brown Jasmine Rice  — 0.046 ug/g total arsenic, 0.033 ug/g estimated inorganic arsenic, <MRL cadmium, <MRL lead, & non-detect mercury (Use discount code “MAMAVATION” for 10% off your order!) (Or purchase on Amazon here.)
• Lotus Foods Organic White Jasmine & Forbidden Rice for Microwave  — 0.056 ug/g total arsenic, 0.04 ug/g estimated inorganic arsenic, 0.003 ug/g cadmium, non-detect lead, & non-detect mercury (Use discount code “MAMAVATION” for 10% off your order!) (Or purchase on Amazon here)
• Lundberg Family Farms Jasmine White Rice Regenerative Organic Certified — 0.036 ug/g total arsenic, 0.026 ug/g estimated inorganic arsenic, 0.005 ug/g cadmium, non-detect lead, & non-detect mercury

Best Long Grain Rice

• Khazana Organic Sona Masoori Rice — 0.072 ug/g total arsenic, 0.052 ug/g estimated inorganic arsenic, 0.02 ug/g cadmium, non-detect lead, & non-detect mercury.
• Lundberg Family Farms Long Grain White Rice Regenerative Organic Certified–– 0.048 ug/g total arsenic, 0.035 ug/g estimated inorganic arsenic, 0.006 ug/g cadmium, non-detect lead, & non-detect mercury.

Best Miscellaneous Rice

• Trader Joe’s ORZO Macaroni Product — non-detect total arsenic, <MRL lead, 0.024 ug/g cadmium, & non-detect mercury. (Technically not rice, because it’s made from wheat.)

Best Ramen & Rice Noodles

• Ocean’s Halo Organic Rice Noodles: 0.065 ug/g total arsenic, 0.05 ug/g total estimated inorganic arsenic, 0.031 ug/g cadmium, 0.01 ug/g lead, & non-detect mercury.
• Lotus Foods Organic Buckwheat & Brown Soba Rice Noodles 100% Organic Whole Grains: 0.07 ug/g total arsenic, 0.05 ug/g estimated inorganic arsenic, 0.01 ug/g cadmium, <MRL lead, & non-detect mercury. (Use discount code “MAMAVATION” for 10% off products!) (Or purchase on Amazon here)
• Ocean’s Halo Organic Ramen Noodles: 0.01 ug/g total arsenic, 0.01 ug/g estimated arsenic, 0.01 ug/g cadmium, 0.012 ug/g lead, & non-detect mercury.

Best Sushi Rice

• Koda Farms Organic/Biologique Kokuho Rose Medium Grain Rice Riz a Grain Moyen Au Terroir Heirloom Rice California Grown (Blue bag) — 0.078 ug/g total arsenic, 0.057 ug/g estimated inorganic arsenic, 0.003 ug/g cadmium, non-detect lead, & non-detect mercury.
• Lundberg Family Farms Regenerative Organic Certified White Rice Sushi — 0.056 ug/g total arsenic, 0.041 ug/g estimated inorganic arsenic, 0.004 ug/g cadmium, non-detect lead, & non-detect mercury.
• Ocean’s Halo Organic Short Grain Sticky Rice— 0.095 ug/g total arsenic, 0.069 ug/g estimated inorganic arsenic, 0.008 ug/g cadmium, non-detect lead, & non-detect mercury.

The post Rice Tested for Lead & Arsenic — Guide Compilation appeared first on MAMAVATION.

Disclosure: This consumer study is released in partnership with Environmental Health News. Donations were provided by Environmental Health News and Mamavation community members. Note that Mamavation has only “spot-checked” the industry and thus we cannot make predictions about brands and products that we have not tested. Products and manufacturing aides can change without notice, so buyer beware. This post contains affiliate links, most of which are to Amazon, which means Mamavation will receive a portion of those sales, and we will use that to pay ourselves back for the testing. You can also give a tax-deductible donation to our consumer studies here through Environmental Health Sciences. Thank you!  All Mamavation testing data is proprietary. If you’re interested in referencing our data on your website or app, please reach out to discuss licensing agreements. Copyright © 2026 Mamavation — All Rights Reserved

Glyphosate–A Powerful Toxic Herbicide That Has Taken Over World

Glyphosate [N-(phosphonomethyl) glycine] is the active ingredient in glyphosate-based herbicides (GBH) and is also the most popular herbicide in the world. Its environmental presence increased sharply after the introduction of “Roundup Ready” crops in 1996, which allowed glyphosate to be sprayed onto crops without killing them. Beyond agriculture, glyphosate is extensively used in landscaping, roadside maintenance, golf courses, and vegetation control in fire-prone areas.

Environmental exposure to this broad-based herbicide has increased dramatically since the introduction of “Round-up Ready” genetically modified (GMO) crops in 1996 for soybean, maize, and cotton varieties. “Round-up Ready” genetically modified crops made it possible to utilize glyphosate as a broadcast herbicide while not killing the crops they were sprayed on. Glyphosate is also extensively used in deforestation efforts, such as killing brush in fire zones, and is relied on heavily by landscapers to kill weeds in green belts and on golf courses. Ultimately, glyphosate is used to eliminate weeds and shrubs, including annual and perennial grasses, broadleaf weeds, and woody species.

Glyphosate is applied in a variety of forms: isopropylamine salt, ammonium salt, diammonium salt, dimethylammonium salt, and potassium salt. Thus, it’s important to understand that when glyphosate is applied to crops or weeds, it includes additional adjuvants in the formulation that make it more toxic and thus easier for plants to take up. These glyphosate formulations have also proven toxic to humans. However, companies don’t have to publicly disclose other proprietary chemicals in these herbicide formulations; therefore, regulators and researchers can’t fully study them to determine their health effects.

Glyphosate was originally patented as a chelator and an antibiotic, which means it binds minerals and interferes with microbial systems. These properties have fueled concern that long-term exposure may disrupt nutrient absorption, alter the gut microbiota, and increase antibiotic resistance. The World Health Organization (WHO) has classified glyphosate as a probable carcinogen, and California lists it under Proposition 65 for cancer and reproductive harm.

Because glyphosate is not an intentionally added ingredient, it does not appear on food labels. However, its absence from ingredient panels does not guarantee absence from the product itself. Contamination can occur through agricultural practices, raw material sourcing, manufacturing, transportation, or storage—making independent testing a critical safeguard.

Mamavation Finds Glyphosate in Organic Flour

To evaluate potential exposure, Mamavation sent ten all-purpose organic flours to an EPA-certified laboratory for testing. Samples were analyzed for glyphosate using liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) with a detection limit of 10 parts per billion (ppb), the lowest level routinely achievable in standardized commercial testing. While some academic laboratories may reach lower limits, those methods are not widely available or standardized for consumer product screening.

Here are the main findings:

• 90% of organic all-purpose flours did not contain detectable glyphosate. That’s 9 out of 10 organic flours.
• 100% of the organic einkorn flours we tested did not contain detectable glyphosate. That’s 2 out of 2 flours.
• Only one brand had detectable glyphosate at 14 ppb, which is low enough to be reasonably considered as “drift” exposure

Why Is Glyphosate Found In Organic & Conventional Flour?

Glyphosate is a well-documented contaminant found in both conventional and organic flour. In conventional wheat, one major contributor is pre-harvest desiccation.

As explained by The Detox Project, farmers often spray glyphosate on crops late in the season, just before harvest. This application helps dry the plants more quickly and evenly, allowing them to be harvested earlier and reducing the time they spend in the field. While this saves farmers and food companies time and money, it comes at a potential cost to consumers.

Because glyphosate is highly persistent, it remains on the grain and can end up in food products at elevated levels. Our own testing of sourdough breads revealed numerous examples of this contamination.

As for organic food products, they’re significantly less likely to contain glyphosate residue; however, it does happen. It’s assumed that the vast majority of glyphosate contamination would come from pesticide drift from nearby conventional farms.

Comparing bread products tested in the past for glyphosate to sourdough bread products tested presently, you also start to see some differences in levels. More studies are needed on various bread products and their differences to make a stronger claim, but it appears that sourdough bread may be lower in glyphosate than other breads. For instance, two whole-wheat products were found to contain over 1,000 ppb of glyphosate in other studies. We did not find anything so high in our small study on Mamavation. 88% of the sourdough bread products we tested were under 50 ppb.

Because we have consistently found glyphosate in bread, we recommend that, if you want to avoid it, you start baking bread from scratch. This investigation will help you select the organic flour to use.

Other Investigations by Mamavation

Mamavation has conducted additional studies on glyphosate and other contaminants in our food supply. Here are some additional studies you may be interested in for your family:

More Glyphosate Testing

• Cinnamon
• Oat Milk
• Sourdough Bread
• Other Bread, Protein Powder, & Legumes
• Vitamin D3 K2 Supplements
• Women’s Multivitamins
• Childrens Multivitamins

Small Kitchen Appliances

• Water Filters
• Air Fryers & Air Fryer Ovens
• Juicers
• Kitchen Stand Mixers
• Rice Cookers
• Waffle Makers
• Indoor Kitchen Grills & Paninis
• Blenders
• Nut Milk Makers
• Food Processors
• Toasters & Toaster Ovens
• Outdoor Grills & BBQs
• Ice Cream Makers
• Slow Cookers
• Espresso Machines & Mokas
• Electric Kettles

Mamavation’s Investigation of Organic All-Purpose Flour Details

Ten organic all-purpose flour products were mostly donated in May 2026 by community members. Each product was recorded in our database, pictures were taken, and the product was then sent directly to an EPA-certified laboratory in its original packaging. After the results were given, we spent some time analyzing the data to determine where to rank each product.

Product Brands We Tested

To help you make informed decisions about which organic flour products are safest for your home, we sent a range of popular organic all-purpose flour brands to our EPA-certified laboratory for testing. Each product was evaluated for glyphosate contamination. Below is the complete list of brands included in our investigation.

Brands Tested by Mamavation

• 365 Whole Foods Market Organic All-Purpose Flour
• Arrowhead Mills Organic Unbleached All-Purpose Flour Milled from Premium Grade Hard Wheat
• Bob’s Red Mill Unbleached White All-Purpose Organic Flour
• Central Milling Organic All-Purpose Flour “Beehive” Unbleached Malted Flour
• Grand Teton Ancient Grains Certified 100% Organic All-Purpose Einkorn Flour
• Jovial Regeneratively Farmed 100% Organic Einkorn All-Purpose Flour
• King Arthur Baking Company Unbleached All-Purpose Flour Organic
• Kirkland Signature All-Purpose Flour Organic Unbleached Milled from Hard Red Wheat
• Sunrise Flour Mill Heritage White Flour Organic Hard Red Wheat All Purpose Flour
• Trader Joe’s Organic Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

Not Our Favorite Organic All-Purpose Flour

These USDA organic brands had detectable glyphosate via our EPA-certified laboratory.

• Sunrise Flour Mill Heritage White Flour 100% Premium Organic Hard Red Wheat All-Purpose Flour — 14 ppb glyphosate

Better Organic All-Purpose Flour

• No brands were put in this category

Best Organic All-Purpose Flour

These USDA organic brands did not have detectable glyphosate via our EPA-certified laboratory.

USDA Organic Stone-Milled Flour

• Grand Teton Ancient Grains Certified 100% Organic All-Purpose Einkorn Flour — non-detect glyphosate (Use discount code “MAMAVATION” for 10% off products!) 

USDA Organic Roller-Milled Flour

• 365 Whole Foods Market Organic All-Purpose Flour — non-detect glyphosate
• Arrowhead Mills Organic Unbleached All-Purpose Flour Milled from Premium Grade Hard Wheat — non-detect glyphosate
• Bob’s Red Mill Unbleached White All-Purpose Organic Flour — non-detect glyphosate
• Central Milling Organic All-Purpose Flour “Beehive” Unbleached Malted Flour — non-detect glyphosate
• Jovial Regeneratively Farmed 100% Organic Einkorn All-Purpose Flour — non-detect glyphosate
• King Arthur Baking Company Unbleached All-Purpose Flour Organic — non-detect glyphosate
• Kirkland Signature All-Purpose Flour Organic Unbleached Milled from Hard Red Wheat — non-detect glyphosate
• Trader Joe’s Organic Unbleached All-Purpose Flour —  non-detect glyphosate

The post Organic All-Purpose Flours Tested for Toxic Glyphosate appeared first on MAMAVATION.

Disclosure: This consumer study is released in partnership with Environmental Health News. Scientific reviews were performed by Terrence Collins, Teresa Heinz Professor of Green Chemistry & Director of the Institute for Green Sciences at Carnegie Mellon University. Donations were provided by Environmental Health News and Mamavation community members. Note that Mamavation has only “spot-checked” the industry and thus we cannot make predictions about brands and products that we have not tested. Products and manufacturing aides can change without notice so buyer beware. This post contains affiliate links, with most to Amazon, which means Mamavation will receive a portion of those sales and we will use that to pay ourselves back for the testing. You can also give a tax-deductible donation to our consumer studies here through Environmental Health Sciences. Thank you!  Copyright © 2026 Mamavation — All Rights Reserved

Mamavation Found Arsenic, Lead, & Cadmium in Rice

How much arsenic is in a typical cup of rice? Let’s find out. Previous studies found high levels of arsenic in most rice products, so we created a rice consumer study based on the exact needs of Mamavation community members. Mamavation sent 57 rice & rice noodle products to an EPA-certified laboratory to test for total arsenic, lead, cadmium, & mercury. Because rice is the most significant source of arsenic (other than drinking water) most Americans have daily, we relied on donations from our audience to test exactly what they were already using.

Jasmine rice, basmati rice, brown rice, long-grain rice, parboiled rice, sushi rice, heirloom rice, forbidden rice, & ramen rice noodles were all sent to the laboratory and had various levels of arsenic and other heavy metals present. Here are some of the main findings:

• 98% of rice samples contained detectable total arsenic. That’s 56 out of 57 rice products. And, 100% of Basmati rice had detectable total arsenic.
• Basmati rice arsenic levels ranged from 0.04 ug/g to 0.115 ug/g total arsenic. This can also be described as 40 to 115 parts per billion (ppb).
• The average Basmati rice product contamination was 75 ppb total arsenic; however, the average rice product contamination from the entire rice group was 113 ppb total arsenic.
• Highest Arsenic Products: Mamavation sent two products with over 10 mcg of total arsenic for every 45 mg of rice for more testing of inorganic arsenic. Neither of those products were Basmati rice, but they came back with concerning levels of inorganic arsenic– 175 ppb and 222 ppb total inorganic arsenic. These samples were from China, Heilongjiang Province, and Louisiana.
• Geography of Highest Arsenic: Rice products with the highest total arsenic were from China, Thailand, Louisiana, Texas, & South Carolina.
• Geography of Lowest Arsenic: Rice products with the lowest total arsenic were from California, India, Korea, Vietnam, Thailand, & China.

Linda S. Birnbaum, Scientist Emeritus and Former Director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and National Toxicology Program & Scholar in Residence at Duke University, Adjunct Professor at the University of North Carolina, & Yale University had this to say after she reviewed this consumer study: “Pay close attention to how much arsenic is in your rice if you are raising young children or are pregnant. Mamavation has made this easy for you to navigate with their rice testing. Overall, this is a big problem for women who are pregnant, feeding small children, and people who consume lots of rice. So if you eat lots of rice, it’s best to opt for safer brands or types of rice lower in arsenic.”

Health-Related Impacts Linked to Overconsumption of Arsenic

Arsenic is a carcinogen that, in chronic exposure, is linked to bladder, lung, and skin cancers. Its most toxic form, inorganic arsenic, is found in the environment and around industrial processes. Early-life exposures to inorganic arsenic in utero are especially dangerous. Here are some additional health-related impacts linked to overconsumption of arsenic.

• Spontaneous abortion & stillbirths
• Increase in preterm births
• Neurodevelopmental disorders
• Behavioral disorders
• Cancer (bladder, lung & skin cancers)
• Skin lesions
• Cardiovascular disease
• Diabetes

For most of the world, exposure to arsenic is through contaminated groundwater. Inorganic arsenic is naturally present at high levels in the groundwater in regions of Argentina, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Chile, China, India, Mexico, Pakistan, the United States of America, and Vietnam.  Acute poisoning results in vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea, followed by numbness and tingling of the extremities, muscle cramping, and even death, in extreme cases. Children are especially vulnerable to arsenic, and in such rare cases, they are referred to a medical toxicologist, Poison Control Center, or Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit for possible chelation therapy. You can check to see the arsenic levels in your public water district here through the Environmental Working Group Tapwater Database.

How to Lower Asenic Exposure for Children

If you are pregnant or caring for small children, lowering your exposure to arsenic is important. There are many things you can do, and we would love to help you get started!

• Drinking Water: The official recommendation from health professionals is to consider drinking bottled water in areas with elevated levels of arsenic in drinking water. You can check the water in your area here. Unfortunately, boiling water does not remove arsenic. However, we also worry a bit about exposing children to the microplastics in bottled water, so perhaps the best solution is getting a good water purifier for your home. Finding a good water purifier that can reduce arsenic levels is tricky. Most systems do not filter arsenic well, but we have linked some sound systems that can tackle that below. Here are our three water filter recommendations specifically for handling arsenic in water:
  •  Clearly Filtered 3 Stage Under the Sink Water Filtration System with Affinity Filtration Technology (or you can alternatively use their Clearly Filtered Water Pitcher with Affinity Filtration Technology)  (This link will deduct 10% off purchase.) 
  • AquaSauna SmartFlow Reverse Osmosis (Use discount code “MAMAVATION” for 10% off purchases!)
  •  AQUA TRU Countertop Water Filtration Reverse Osmosis or Under the Sink model (This link will automatically deduct $100 off a unit for you at checkout.)
• Diet: Generally, varied diets from whole foods are recommended instead of relying on prepackaged rice products.
  • Limit consumption of anything derived from rice, like rice syrups or rice cereals. Check the ingredients in your packaged foods and limit the amount of food consumed that contains rice.
  • Iron-fortified rice cereal is not the best first grain introduced to infants; instead, other options like oats, barley, and multigrain cereals should be introduced. These alternative grains can become a staple among older kids too.
  • Preparing Rice: When preparing rice for children, rinse it before cooking. Cook the rice in plenty of water, similar to how you would cook pasta. The arsenic will pull out of the rice into the water, and you can dump it out. This will lower the total arsenic you are exposed to.
  • Switch from brown rice to white rice. Rice without the hull typically has less arsenic.
• Limit consumption of fruit juices, especially grape and apple. Here are our recommendations for the safest apple juice brands based on a prior study released by Consumer Reports looking at arsenic levels:
  • 365 Everyday Value (Whole Foods) Organic Apple Juice, 100% Juice
  • Juicy Juice Organics 100% Juice, Apple (single juice box)
  • Honest Kids Organic Juice Drink, Goodness Grapeness (single juice box)
  • Simply Balanced (Target) Organic Apple Juice, 100% Juice
• Avoid Chromated Copper Arsenate (CCA) when treating wood or decking and opt for safer alternatives. Here are some better options for decking and furniture.
  • Vermont Natural Coatings Bohme’s Terra Plus Exterior Deck Stain
  • Vermont Natural Coatings Penetrating Waterproofer Infused with Juniper
  • Vermont Natural Coatings PolyWhey Exterior Penetrating Stain
  • Rubio Monocoat Hybrid Wood Protector
• Avoid allowing your children to play in dirt around industrial areas, especially locations with smelters, welders, woodworkers, chemical plants, glass manufacturing, and maintenance crews.

Types of Rice — What We Tested

There are two main types of rice: Indica and Japonica. Indica rice, better known as long-grain rice, such as Basmati and Jasmine rice, is long and slim. Japonica rice is a medium to short-grain rice and is stickier, shorter, or rounder. Wild rice is not true rice because it comes from a grass family, but we know you eat it so we won’t be splitting hairs here. Here are the types of rice we tested, broken into categories:

• Basmati Rice — Basmati rice is a long-grained rice with a nutty flavor and aroma. This type of rice becomes very fluffy when cooked and used in South Asian and Middle Eastern cuisines.
• Jasmine Rice — Jasmine rice is another long-grained rice with a floral scent and slightly sweet flavor, native to Southeast Asia. Jasmine rice from Thailand is also known as “Thai Horn Mali”.
• Brown Rice — Brown rice is a whole grain rice containing the rice kernel, including the germ and the endosperm. This rice is higher in fiber. Technically, any other rice that maintains its structure can be a brown rice. Brown rice typically has more arsenic than white rice because of the hull.
• Black “Forbidden” Rice is considered a whole grain because it has retained its bran, germ, and endosperm. It’s very dark in color and not as popular in the US as other rice categories.
• Wild Rice — This rice has more fiber and protein than other rice. The colors can vary.
• Rice Noodles — We included this category as noodles made from rice. Some products are transparent about what type of rice they use, while others are not.
• Parboiled — This rice is partially cooked in the husk, and then the husk is removed. This is also referred to as “easy cook” rice.
• Sushi & Other Short-Grain Rice — This category is a general section where we have to stuff many additional types of rice, like sushi rice and sticky rice.

How Arsenic Finds Its Way Into Rice & Rice Cereals

How does arsenic contaminate rice? The answer to that question is both complicated and straightforward. Rice is the number one source of arsenic for most Americans, but if you eat lots of chicken, mushrooms, or seafood, your arsenic levels may be even higher. Here are the main exposure pathways for arsenic in rice:

• Geographic locations and farming practices in that area can impact the arsenic in rice. For instance, rice from California may have less arsenic than rice from Texas or Louisiana.
• Rice paddies take up more arsenic than other plants, so the naturally present arsenic will increase in rice in a way that doesn’t happen in other plants.
• The local water supply could have higher arsenic levels, and if used for irrigation, it will increase the amounts in rice. Certain areas like Los Angeles, Houston, & Spokane have higher levels of arsenic in the water.
• Legacy Pesticide Use: Rice farms that used to be other types, like cotton or tobacco farms, could already have arsenic contamination in the soil from previous pesticide use.
• Most rice paddy farms are irrigated heavily with water, turning them into mud patches that never dry and, over time, concentrate arsenic.
• Arsenic-containing drugs: Sometimes arsenic-containing drugs and feed additives are fed to chickens to keep them from getting sick, but this also increases arsenic in their feces. This arsenic-filled chicken poop can be used in composting, which can get into the general food supply and can be taken up by plants or eaten by farm animals.

Best Rice Cookers

We’ve been researching the safest cookware and small kitchen appliances for years, so we wanted to share with you the safest rice cookers free from PFAS “forever chemical” coatings. Most rice cookers are coated with PFAS “forever chemicals” or different coatings containing nanoparticles. The safest options for rice cookers are either made from stainless steel, cladding materials, or uncoated ceramic, and can make perfect rice with fluffy textures. The stainless steel inner rice bowl should be safe for the dishwasher, not the entire machine. Not all accessories are approved if they are made of plastic, such as a plastic steamer basket or plastic rice paddle. Most of these machines have a tempered glass lid and a safe heating element, but they can also be placed in warm mode to keep warm. Increasing the water ratio in the rice cooker and later tossing the excess water helps reduce the arsenic in each rice bowl.

• Aroma Housewares Select Stainless Rice Cooker & Warmer
• Aroma Housewares Black Select 6 Cup Stainless Rice Cooker & Warmer
• Aroma Housewares Red Select 6 cup Stainless Rice Cooker & Warmer
• Buffalo Classic Rice Cooker (with Clad Stainless Steel Inner Pot) – 5 Cups
• Buffalo White IH Smart Cooker, Rice Cooker & Warmer 
• Elite Gourmet 6 Cup Rice Cooker
• Tatung Stainless Steel Rice Cooker
• Vita Clay 2-n-1 Chef Rice Cooker (Use discount code “MAMAVATION” for $30 off products)
• Vita Clay Smart Organic Rice Cooker (Use discount code “MAMAVATION” for $30 off products)(This brand has low levels of lead inside the ceramic. All public migration labs commissioned by brand have been non-detect. However, the amounts of lead found by independent bloggers are below 90 ppm on food contact surfaces, which are considered very low for ceramic. Because the State of California bases exposure of lead on migration testing for small kitchen appliances, this brand does not require a Prop. 65 warning because it doesn’t leach lead over the amounts that are concerning. So can you find lead in there? Yes. Is it leaching in a concerning way? The State of CA would say no.)

Interested in other small kitchen appliances and cookware investigations? Here are some additional studies we have done you may be interested in:

Cookware & Bakeware

• Cookware
• Ceramic Cookware
• Stainless Steel Cookware
• Cupcake & Muffin Pans
• Baking Sheets, Cookie Sheets, and Sheet Pans

Other Kitchen Accessories

• Glass Measuring Cups
• Kitchen Utensils
• Cutting Boards
• Reusable Water Bottles

Small Kitchen Appliances

• Water Filters
• Air Fryers & Air Fryer Ovens
• Juicers
• Kitchen Stand Mixers
• Rice Cookers
• Waffle Makers
• Indoor Kitchen Grills & Paninis
• Blenders
• Nut Milk Makers
• Food Processors
• Toasters & Toaster Ovens
• Outdoor Grills & BBQs
• Ice Cream Makers
• Slow Cookers
• Espresso Machines & Mokas
• Electric Kettles

Food Packaging

• Disposable plates & foodware
• Cupcake Liners
• Plastic Free Disposable Straws
• Sandwich Bags like Ziploc

Serving & Plating

• Dishes & Dishware
• Silverware

Mamavation’s Investigation on Basmati Rice Tested for Arsenic, Lead, Cadmium, & Mercury

To recap, Mamavation sent 57 rice products to an EPA-certified laboratory for testing for arsenic, cadmium, mercury & lead. 98% of rice products had detectable amounts of total arsenic. However, 100% of the rice products contained some detectable heavy metal.

Mamavation accepted rice donations from women across the United States in the following categories: jasmine rice, basmati rice, sushi rice, long grain rice, brown rice, rice noodles, forbidden rice, wild rice, and parboiled rice. After receiving the rice, we recorded the information, took pictures, and sent the products to an EPA-certified laboratory for analysis. Rice that was above 0.22 mcg/g (10 mcg of arsenic per 45-gram serving), was sent back for more inorganic arsenic testing. We then estimated inorganic arsenic in other products by using a summary assessment of inorganic arsenic in rice published in 2024. Based on that study, we estimated that inorganic arsenic accounts for 72.7% of the total arsenic found. We included those estimations with all the products in the raw data below.

We are releasing the raw data in different categories:

• jasmine rice,
• basmati rice,
• long grain rice,
• brown rice,
• rice ramen and rice noodles,
• sushi & short-grain rice
• all rice products together

The final rice-related investigation that will be posted will be a compilation of all rice products together. The raw data released in this investigation will focus on Basmati Rice. We divided the rice products into 3 categories according to contamination levels. These levels reflect the overall levels of heavy metal contamination in each product but do not follow specific government recommendations.

• ug/g = 1 ppm = 1000 ppb
• ug/kg = 1 ppb
• <MRL means less than “maximum residue limit,” which means it can be found, but it’s so small it can’t be quantified.
• ND = non-detect

Terrence Collins, Teresa Heinz Professor of Green Chemistry & Director of the Institute for Green Sciences at Carnegie Mellon University, had this to say after his scientific review of this consumer study.

“Thanks to Mamavation for providing this excellent view into the relative purity with respect to arsenic of spot-checked basmati rice across many brands.  The more moms decide to act through their buying habits based on this guidance, the more rice is likely to become free of arsenic contamination for the protection of families.”

Product Brands We Tested
To help our community make safer choices, Mamavation sent a wide range of popular jasmine rice to our EPA-certified laboratory for heavy metal testing.

Below is the complete list of basmati rice included in our investigation. Sign into MAMAGATE below to view all results.

• Azure Market Organic Brown Basmati Rice Imported
• Azure Market Organic Heirloom Rice Basmati, White
• Azure Market Organic Heirloom Rice Basmati, Brown
• Azure Market Organic White Basmati Rice Imported
• Bowl & Basket Basmati Rice Extra Long Grain
• Lotus Foods Organic White Basmati Rice Regenerative Organic Certified
• Lotus Foods Organic Brown Basmati Rice Regenerative Organic Certified
• Lotus Food Heirloom Kalijira Rice Organic White Quick Cook Rice “Baby Basmati”
• Lundberg Family Farms Organic California Brown Gourmet Rice BASMATI
• Lundberg Family Farms Sustainable California White Basmati Gourmet Rice
• Lundberg Family Farms Organic Sprouted Brown Basmati Gourmet Rice
• Royal Authentic Basmati Rice
• Royal Organic Basmati Rice
• The Fresh Market Organic Basmati Long Grain Rice
• Trader Joe’s Organic Basmati Rice

The post Basmati Rice Tested for Toxic Arsenic & Lead — Guide (DUPLICATE) appeared first on MAMAVATION.