MAMAVATION

Safest Cast Iron Cookware Investigation — Quality Guide

Leah Segedie — Mon, 05 Oct 2026 19:17:31 +0000

Which cast iron cookware brands are the safest and highest quality? Cast iron cookware is one of the safest cookware types, but which brands use the highest-quality materials and are free of lead? You’ve trusted Mamavation to bring you topics like (1) safest cookware, (2) safest cooking oil tested for phthalates, (3) safest bakeware, (4) safest air fryers, & (5) safest rice cookers. Now, join us for the highest-quality cast iron cookware.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.

Not All Cast Iron Cookware is Created the Same

In the world of cast iron cookware, not all brands are equal in quality and safety. Most reputable American, European or Australian cast iron cookware companies offer safe cast iron, but some Chinese brands do not. Brands that don’t independently verify their materials should be your first concern. What kind of things can go wrong?

Recycled scrap needs more attention: Recycled scrap iron used in some manufacturing can introduce traces of lead, arsenic, cadmium, or other metals. Brands using recycled scraps also need a serious quality assurance plan with ongoing testing.
Independent testing: Independent tests (including one by Hong Kong’s Consumer Council) found certain models exceeding European or international release limits for iron, arsenic, cadmium, chromium, and other metals, especially under acidic conditions.
Vintage dangers: Vintage, antique, or very cheap imported pieces carry a higher risk of contamination from older foundry practices (melting lead at home) or poor-quality enamel on coated versions. In other words, shopping for cast iron at local garage sales may not be the safest option because if that piece of cookware was ever used to melt lead, the lead will still be there. When using vintage cast iron cookware, it’s best to have it lead tested before you cook with it. We recommend using this test from Detectlead.com. (Use “MAMAVATION” for $30 off your kit!)
Quality standards differ by country: Chinese safety & quality standards differ from American standards for cast iron cookware. Product standards for iron cookware specify gray iron grades (often HT150/HT200), carbon/silicon ranges, defect size, and thickness tolerances. EU and American standards are also stricter on lead and other heavy metals.
Enameled Cast Iron issues: Enameled cast iron can pose many problems. First, the glazes typically contain heavy metals, especially the red, yellow, or orange ones. (So if you purchase, stick to blue, green, or white.) The other issue is they crack and chip with normal use, including spiderweb cracks after repeated use. Cracks and chipping can expose your family to whatever was inside the enamel. Lastly, they are mostly made in China, where cookware standards aren’t as strict as in Europe or the United States. The vast majority of the enameled cast iron we evaluated was made in China.
Potential Fixture Issues: Some brands have previously been found to have other fixtures, like brass knobs & handles, that test high for lead by independent watchdogs. One larger brand, Finex, was found to have lead in the brass knobs & handles of their frying pan in 2023. We recently tested that same frying pan for lead and confirmed the same lead issues. However, It’s unlikely to be a food-contact problem, and claiming it is is completely false. To ensure this wasn’t a lead contamination issue, we had Eric Ritter from Detectlead.com try to transfer lead onto his hands after rubbing the pan aggressively, and found no lead contamination. So, as long as you don’t put the brass knobs in your mouth, they are safe to use. But because this brand comes with a caveat, we did not place it in our “best” category. However, we cannot say the same for any other brand. We only tested Finex cast iron, not cheap copies from overseas.

Want to test for lead around the house yourself?

We recommend using this test from Detectlead.com. (Use discount code “MAMAVATION” for $30 off your kit!)

Benefits & Drawbacks of Non-Heme Iron Content in Cast Iron

Cast Iron cooking is a great way to increase your iron intake in a normally healthy environment. For most people, the additional iron exposure from cast iron cookware is a good thing, especially for people who are iron-deficient, like menstruating women, growing children, or vegetarians. The extra non-heme iron that leaches into food can measurably raise iron intake and help improve hemoglobin or ferritin levels. In fact, some countries encourage their populace to use more cast iron for this very purpose.

However, there are some drawbacks for highly sensitive people. The problem exists only when someone already has too much iron inside them OR absorbs iron too efficiently. In those cases, the body has no good way to get rid of excess iron once it’s absorbed. Over time, stored iron acts as a pro-oxidant, generating free radicals that can damage the liver, heart, pancreas, and joints.

What types of people should avoid cast iron cookware?

People with hereditary hemochromatosis, which is a common genetic condition in people of Northern European ancestry.
People who already have high iron stores for other reasons. Examples include repeated blood transfusions, certain liver diseases, or long-term high-dose iron supplements.

Mamavation’s Investigation of Cast Iron Cookware

Mamavation emailed the most popular cast iron cookware brands asking them for details about their materials: chemical disclosures and testing, where they are manufactured, and what they are seasoned with. We did test one brand that previously had a lead issue with some of their additional components.

Not Our Favorite Cast Iron Cookware

Most of these cookware brands are enameled and/or are produced in China. Enamel coating on the cast iron makes the presence of heavy metals more likely. One brand here was tested and found to have lead in the lid, spring handle, & brass cap.

BergHOFF Enameled Cast Iron Cookware (made in China)
BowLift | ForgeVerra Premium Cast Iron Cookware (made in China, soybean oil)
Carolina Cooker Cast Iron Cookware (made in China, soybean oil)
Caroline Cooker Enameled Cast Iron Cookware (made in China)
Caraway Enameled Cast Iron Cookware (likely made in China)
Carote Enameled Cast Iron Cookware (has prop. 65 warning)
Cooklife Direct Cast Iron Cookware (made in China, flaxseed oil)
Dash Non-Stick Cast Iron Cookware (chemical disclosures include Barium, Boron, Manganese, & Zinc)
Edging Casting Cast Iron Cookware (likely made in China, but they never responded so we don’t know)
Flambo Cast Iron Cookware (made in China, vegetable soybean oil)
Grill Masters Club Cast Iron Cookware (organic, food-grade sunflower oil, made in China)
Greater Goods Cast Iron Cookware (made in China, food-grade vegetable oil)
Hedley and Bennett Enameled Cast Iron Cookware (made in China)
Kalsten Cast Iron Cookware (likely made in China, but they never responded so we don’t know)
Le Creuset Enameled Cast Iron Cookware (Chemical disclosure includes silica dust & antimony)
Lodge Enameled Cast Iron Cookware (also made in China)
Our Place Enameled Cast Iron Cookware (made in China)
Pampered Chef Enameled Cast Iron Cookware (made in China)
Rosie’s Vintage Cast Iron Cookware (likely China, but they never responded so we don’t know)
Staub Enameled Cast Iron Cookware (textured black matte enamel interior, made in France)
Utopia Kitchen Cast Iron Cookware (made in China)
Viking Enameled Cast Iron Cookware (made in China)

Better Cast Iron Cookware

These cast iron cookware brands are very good, but not perfect. They do not have a Prop. 65 warning and are independently testing their cookware to ensure high quality. However, they may have used genetically modified (GMO) oils. These pans were NOT manufactured in China either. They were either manufactured in the United States or Colombia.

Lodge Cast Iron Cookware (Soy-based vegetable oil, made in the USA)($34)
Finex Cast Iron Cookware (organic flaxseed oil, made in the USA)(Eric Ritter from Detectlead.com independently tested this product for lead. There was no lead in the cooking surface, but he and found lead in the lid handle, spring handle, and brass cap — lid knob 387 ppm lead, spring handle 304 ppm lead, & brass cap 1,047 ppm lead. Testing was also done to see if the lead in the brass knobs transfers onto the hands, and the answer is no. As long as you don’t put the brass parts in your mouth, they aren’t a lead-contamination issue that will transfer to your food.)($299)
Pampered Chef Cast Iron Cookware (soy-based vegetable oil, made in USA)($75)
Stargazer Cast Iron Cookware (a signature blend of food-grade canola, grapeseed, and sunflower oils, made in USA)($175)
Victoria Cast Iron Cookware (Recycled and virgin metals, Kosher-certified flaxseed oil, made in Colombia)(small, $28.99)

Best Cast Iron Cookware

These cast iron cookware brands are the best of the best. Each brand does quality assurance testing to ensure they don’t need a Prop. 65 warning. We followed up and tested them all for lead and found none in any part of the pan. Eric Ritter at Detectlead.com performed the lead testing with an XRF analyzer. They also use non-GMO oil to season the pans. None of these brands were manufactured in China. They were either manufactured in the United States or Australia. (We know lots of you wanted a brand seasoned with an oil that wasn’t a seed oil, but as you can see, that wasn’t a common attribute (other than Solidteknics) in cast iron, so we focused on non-GMO oils instead for you and just declared what the oils were up front.)

Field Company Cast Iron Cookware (organic, cold-pressed grapeseed oil, made in USA)($200)
Lancaster Cast Iron Cookware (grapeseed oil, made in the USA)($225)
Solidteknics Cast Iron Cookware (kosher non-GMO rice bran oil, made in Australia)($200)(Or purchase from Amazon here)
Smithey Ironware Cast Iron Cookware (recycled iron, grapeseed oil, made in the USA)($220)(Use discount code “MAMAVATION” for free engraving!)
Yeti Cast Iron Cookware (beeswax & grapeseed oil, made in USA)($250)

The post Safest Cast Iron Cookware Investigation — Quality Guide appeared first on MAMAVATION.

Best (& Worst) Organic Infant Formulas — Cow’s Milk, Goat Milk, & Specialty

Leah Segedie — Fri, 02 Oct 2026 16:26:19 +0000

New mothers who struggle to breastfeed turn to organic formula every year without knowing the hidden secret of the industry–there is no such thing as organic formula in the United States. And that’s because each brand contains ingredients not allowable in the organic standards, which technically makes it NOT an organic food. Some are better than others, but the fact that this has been going on for over a decade is simply wrong. Instead of just sitting here and complaining about it, I sued Hain Celestial (makers of Earth’s Best Baby Formula) in Federal Court. Ultimately, the lawsuit lost on a technicality but it did open the door for other consumers to sue organic companies if they are not following the standards of organic. (You’re welcome!) Whether that’s a good or bad thing in your opinion, you can thank me for that. Now that the dust has settled, I’m telling you my story and ranking organic formula brands based on ingredients. You’ve trusted Mamavation to bring you topics like safest small kitchen appliances, safest cookware & safest infant car seats, now join us as we FINALLY tell you the truth about infant formula.

Disclosure: This post was originally released in 2019 and updated in 2023 and 2025. It’s about a real lawsuit in Federal Court led by Leah Segedie of Mamavation.com. For three years of work, she received a couple thousand dollars as a settlement payment. She did not sign anything saying she couldn’t describe the events or the people involved, which is why you are hearing them now. Leah is describing the events as well as she can from memory and public records. There may be slight discrepancies from any deposition she may have had to record based on her memory of the events.

Why There is No Such Thing As Organic Formula

There is no such thing as organic formula, but companies are sure profiting from fake organic formula to the tune of $6.4 BILLION and growing every year. That may be a puzzling statement, but it’s true. What you see in the stores is a fake organic product. And that’s because to produce something like infant formula, it’s impossible today without using ingredients from the prohibited list. The organic industry has a list of ingredients that are prohibited from being in ANY food with the USDA organic seal. Some of these ingredients are synthetic vitamins, while others are things like sodium selenate & taurine, a carcinogen. Whether you believe that organic companies should have the right to produce a formula and slap the organic certification on it or not doesn’t matter. What matters is they are deceiving the public about the purity of organic formula. It’s a matter of trust. (Updated: USDA Organic later updated standards to give organic formula makers more leniency with ingredients used to produce baby formula after this lawsuit was dropped.)

Now what happens if you have to formula feed? Not all women are able to breastfeed. (I was among that group years ago.) And although I feel for those women because that’s a real problem. That is not an excuse to deceive all mothers about organic formula. Women who have a choice need to have real information so they can exercise their freedom. I’m sure some mothers would change their mind about supplementing with formula if they were given the facts about the origins of the organic formula on aisle five. Those women have a right to know what is happening in the organic formula industry as do we all and this post is for them.

Like Other Moms, I Struggled To Breastfeed. At Such a Vulnerable Moment, The Organic Industry Lied to Me. And To You.

In 2006, I had my first baby. I struggled to breastfeed him just like millions of other mothers do across the globe. He didn’t properly latch on for seven long days and in that time, I expressed my milk in a ramekin and then fed it to him with my fingertips. When he finally latched on, I felt like I had accomplished the biggest feat of my life. But my first baby had Autism, and although we didn’t know it at the time, those babies struggle to breastfeed. Although he latched on, it was done improperly so that led to constant sores, bruising, and breast infections. In fact, I had three really severe breast infections within the first four months. They were so bad, I called them “night of the living dead boob” to describe what my breasts looked like. The pain and stress from it all were almost unbearable. Long story short, I started to supplement him with organic formula from Earth’s Best, a company owned by Hain Celestial, just to give myself a break.

Thinking back on it all, I probably would have made another decision, but back then without the truth, I could only think of my own sanity. I didn’t anticipate being deceived by the organic formula industry. Had I known back then what I know today, I would have kept struggling to feed him breastmilk exclusively. If you are anything like I was back then, this investigation is for you.

Fast forward to another baby three years later, I wasn’t as concerned because I had my first one and supplemented him with organic formula. It was good enough for the first, so why not the second? He was getting mostly breastmilk anyways. And although I wasn’t struggling, I supplemented him just for the extra sleep and sanity. By the time I had my third and last baby, I was a pro at supplementing. But at six months old, he developed severe eczema & food allergies and I had to stop breastfeeding him entirely because he was allergic to the top 8 allergens and it was passing through my breastmilk. Even with a modified diet, who could have anticipated having a child with a total of 24 food allergies, as was later discovered. So I ended up using a non-gmo amino acid formula manufactured by Danone.

I thought that was the end of breastfeeding and supplementing with organic formula for me. I didn’t really think anything of it until I discovered that Earth’s Best baby formula contained ingredients not allowable in the organic standard.

How I Sued the Organic Industry And Changed The Law

This made me incredibly angry at Earth’s Best and all the other organic baby formulas for deceiving us all. What could I do about this issue? I’m just ONE person. But it kept nagging at me. Here was a brand deceiving consumers about who they were. They didn’t deserve the marketing halo they received from using the organic certification. They were imposters deceiving new mothers who were desperate, like I was, to make things work. And how was this even possible? What about the organic seal, the USDA, and the certifiers that audit them? I thought I was supposed to be able to trust the organic seal because it was backed by a system that had rules, checks, and balances. But the unfairness of it all was at a level I didn’t feel like writing a simple blog post would solve. So instead, I decided to sue.

I found an attorney who was willing to take my lawsuit on a contingency, which meant I didn’t owe her anything unless the court case won and there was a settlement. At that time, I had tons of organic brands that I was working with, but none of them were formula companies which made me feel like there wasn’t a conflict of interest. So I signed and sued, but before any lawsuit was filed we spent about a year negotiating with Hain Celestial to allow them to do the right thing. But they didn’t want to give up the organic seal or reformulate the product, likely because they were making so much money, so we ended up suing them in Federal Court.

The lawsuit went on for years and it produced lots of stress. I received harassment from colleagues inside the organic industry who didn’t like what I was doing. These were people who had a reputation for demanding transparency and all of a sudden were emailing me and calling me demanding that I drop the lawsuit. To them, I had become an enemy of the organic industry and they let me know about it.

As the lawsuit progressed through the courts, other lawsuits were able to go through because of mine. It had set a precedent where someone could sue an organic company based on organic standards. That had never been done before. And thanks to my lawsuit, you can hold an organic company accountable by suing them if they are cheating.

And years later, we finally lost on a technicality. In the settlement, I got a couple thousand dollars, which was actually more than I was expecting. So why did I wait till now to tell you? Well, it’s simple. My words could have been used against me in the case and I didn’t want to chance it. You’ve heard the expression “loose lips sink ships” right? That was what I was afraid of. When I was deposed for six hours, that was when I realized how wise I was to avoid talking about it in social media or on my blog. Everything was used against me.

Ingredients Inside Organic Formula Not Allowable In Organic Food

Today I can tell you with certainty that there are several ingredients inside “organic” formulas that are not allowable in the old organic standards. What that means is there are ingredients found in organic formula that would never be allowed in organic cereal, crackers, chips, soda, prepared meals, supplements, or protein powder. Some of these ingredients are synthetic vitamins, synthetic nutrients, hydrolyzed yeast, harshly processed fillers, and others that are federally mandated to be in infant formula. But regardless of their intent, they are not allowed in organic food. You don’t see them in organic cereal, so why are they suddenly okay in infant formula?

Here is a list of ingredients not allowable in organic food that you may find in organic infant formula. I’ve pulled the content directly from similar court documents to show you.

Sodium selenate–is federally regulated as an “extremely hazardous substance” and toxic pollutant. 40 C.F.R. § 355; 40 C.F.R. § 401.15. Sodium selenate is extremely hazardous in case of ingestion and is toxic to the blood, kidneys, lungs, and liver. MSDS sodium selenate. It is permitted to be used in animal feeds, but not permitted to be used in foods intended for human consumption. It is produced by dissolving metallic selenium in nitric acid and reacting the product with an alkali metal hydroxide, alkali metal carbonate, and/or some other metal oxide hydroxide, forming an alkali metal selenite, which is then oxidized to form selenate. U.S. Patent No. 4,605,544. Sodium selenate is not permitted in organic products. 7 C.F.R. § 205.605.
Adenosine-5’-Monophosphate (“AMP”), cytidine-5’-monophosphate (“CMP”), disodium guanosine-5’-monophosphate (“GMP”); disodium uridine-5’-monophosphate (“UMP”)–, which are compounds known as nucleotides, the base molecules of ribonucleic acid (RNA) and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). Upon information and belief, they are synthetically extracted from the RNA in yeast by enzymatic hydrolysis and synthetic filtration, using hydrochloric acid. The Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) has never affirmed any of the nucleotides as generally recognized as safe (“GRAS”) as a food additive. One ingredient supplier determined that one of the nucleotides, AMP, is generally recognized as safe as a food ingredient, and it has been used as an artificial flavor enhancer due to its strong umami-like flavor. FDA Agency Response Letter GRAS Notice No. GRN 000144. No supplier has filed a similar determination that any of the other four nucleotides are generally recognized as safe as a food ingredient. These nucleotides are not permitted in organic foods. 7 C.F.R. §§ 205.105(c), 205.605.
Taurine a.k.a. 1 2-aminoethanesulfonic acid–which animal studies show to have negative brain and nervous system effects, metabolic effects, and cardiovascular effects, even at very low doses. Commercially available taurine is synthetically produced by reacting ethylene oxide with aqueous sodium bisulfate, reacting aziridine with sulfurous acid, or reacting monoethanolamine, sulfuric acid, and sodium sulfite. The FDA has not affirmed taurine as safe
in foods or infant formulas, and taurine is not permitted to be added to foods labeled as “organic.” 7 C.F.R. §§ 205.105(c), 205.605. In fact, the National Organic Standards Board specifically rejected applications to permit taurine to be added to organic foods.

Docosahexaenoic acid single cell oil, a.k.a. “DHASCO”–which is added to formula in the form of crypthecodinium cohnii oil. Martek Biosciences Corporation produces crypthecodinium cohnii oil as a by-product from the marine dinoflagellate C. cohnii, a nonagricultural microorganism. 7 C.F.R. §§ 205.2; 205.605. Such by-products from nonagricultural microorganisms (like DHASCO) are not permitted in organic foods. 7 C.F.R. §§ 205.105(c), 205.605. Martek Biosciences Corporation uses hexane (a volatile synthetic solvent and toxic pollutant) to extract DHASCO from the unicellular microalgae, and it adds ascorbyl palmitate (a synthetic substance) to the final byproduct for oxidative stability. As much as 77% of the final DHASCO contains other triglycerides, including myristic acid (13-20%), palmitic acid (12-25%), oleic acid (10-25%), lauric acid (2-6%), and capric acid (1%). None of these compounds is permitted in organic foods, 7 C.F.R. § 205.605, and DHASCO is not permitted in organic foods, 7 C.F.R. §§ 205.105(c), 205.270; 205.605.
Arachidonic acid single cell oil, a.k.a. “ARASCO,”– which is added to Arachidonic acid single cell oil, a.k.a. “ARASCO,” which is added to some formulas in the form of mortierella alpine oil. Mortierella alpine oil is a by-product from M. alpina, a soil fungus, and therefore not permitted in organic foods. 7C.F.R. §§ 205.2, 205.605. Like DHASCO, ARASCO is produced using hexane extraction and ascorbyl palmitate to preserve oxidative stability. The product is therefore not permitted in organic foods. 7 C.F.R. §§ 205.105, 205.270. As much as 64% of the final ARASCO ingredient contains other fatty acids, including oleic acid (~16–23%), palmitic acid (~7–10%), stearic acid (~7–10%), linoleic acid (~6–8%), gamma-linoleic acid (~3%), dihomo-gamma-linoleic acid (~1–3%), behenic acid (~2%), and a number of other fatty acids at levels less than one percent. None of these compounds are permitted in organic foods, 7 C.F.R. § 205.605, and ARASCO are not permitted in organic foods, 7 C.F.R. §§ 205.105(c), 205.605.
Ascorbyl palmitate is a chemical preservative, 21 C.F.R. § 182.3149, prepared by condensing palmitoyl chloride and ascorbic acid in the presence of a dehydrochlorinating agent such as pyridine. It can also be produced by the esterification of ascorbic acid with sulfuric acid and palmitic acid. Other patented processes use dimethylformamide, dimethyl sulfoxide, or hydrogen fluoride instead of sulfuric acid. Ascorbyl palmitate is not permitted in organic foods. 7 C.F.R. §§ 205.105(c), 205.605.
Calcium pantothenate which is synthetically prepared from isobutyraldehyde, a synthetic flavoring substance and toxic chemical, 21 C.F.R. § 184.1212; 40 C.F.R. § 372.65, and formaldehyde, a hazardous substance, 40 C.F.R. § 116.4, via 1,1-dimethyl-2-hydroxy-propionaldehyde and pantolactone. 21 C.F.R. § 184.1212. It is not allowed in organic foods. 7 C.F.R. §§ 205.105(c), 205.605.
Choline chloride, which is a synthetic substance produced by reacting trimethylamine and concentrated hydrochloric acid (both hazardous substances) and treating the resulting product with ethylene oxide under pressure. Choline chloride (C5H14ClNO) is not the same substance as the nutrient choline (C5H14NO). While choline chloride is permitted in soy-based infant formula, it is prohibited in other foods labeled as organic.7 C.F.R. §§ 205.105(c), 205.605.
Choline bitartrate, which is a synthetic substance produced by the reaction of trimethylamine with ethylene oxide followed by treatment with tartaric acid. Trimethylamine and tartaric acid are both hazardous substances. 40 C.F.R. § 116.4. Choline bitartrate is not the same substance as choline, an ingredient permitted in organic non-milk-based infant formulas. Choline bitartrate (C9H19NO7) is a synthetic variation of choline (C5H14NO), a nutrient naturally found in grains, nuts, and beans. It is not allowed in organic foods. 7 C.F.R. §§ 205.105(c), 205.605.
Cyanocobalamin which is a synthetic compound produced commercially from cultures of Streptomyces griseus. 21 C.F.R. § 184.1945. Cyanocobalamin (C63H88CoN14O14P) is chemically and molecularly distinct from natural vitamin B12 (cobalamin, C62H88CoN13O14P), found in animal foods such as fish, liver, poultry, eggs, and milk products.
Cyanocobalamin does not give the human body the full range of vitamin activity found in natural vitamin B12. Unlike natural vitamin B12, the body converts cyanocobalamin to methylcobalamin and adenosylcobalamin, leaving the body to enzymatically remove the resulting cyanide, potentially harmful to those who are deficient in this ability. Cyanocobalamin is not allowed in organic foods. 7 C.F.R. §§ 205.105(c), 205.605.

L-carnitine is usually synthesized using epichlorhydrine or trimethylamine, and racemate separation by fractionated crystallization or other methods. L-carnitine can also be obtained from industrially produced D-mannitol, or produced using commercially available biosynthetic methods via microorganisms (e.g., Escherichia coli, Proteus mirabilis) cultivated in a bioreactor with crotonobetaine, crotonobetaine salts, or its derivatives. L-Carnatine is not permitted in organic foods. 7 C.F.R. §§ 205.105(c), 205.605.
Cholecalciferol is a synthetic compound. Its production requires ultraviolet irradiation of ergosterol isolated from yeast and related fungi and purified by crystallization, or ultraviolet irradiation of 7-dehydrocholesterol produced from cholesterol. 21 C.F.R. § 184.1950(a). Cholecalciferol can be produced from fish liver oils, but some labels do not indicate that the ingredient was derived from seafood, as would be required by law. Cholecalciferol is not allowed in organic foods. 7 C.F.R. § 205.105(f).
Lutein is an antioxidant found in egg yolks, yellow flower petals, algae, and vegetables. It is commercially produced from marigold petals through solvent extraction and saponification to cleave the fatty acids from the xanthophyll esters, yielding free lutein. According to the USDA, the resulting lutein product is synthetic. It is not permitted in organic foods. 7 C.F.R. § 205.605.
M-Inositol, which according to the USDA, cannot be produced non-synthetically on a commercial scale using available methods, isn’t allowed in organic. Instead, inositol is synthetically produced by extracting phytic acid (inositol-hexaphosphate) from plants such as corn or rice by soaking in a dilute acid solution, such as hydrochloric acid or sulfuric acid, creating phytin (inositol-hexaphosphate salt). The phytin is synthetically converted to inositol by hydrolysis with a strong sulfuric acid solution and then purified with a reagent like barium to remove the sulfuric acid, phosphoric acid, and calcium or magnesium sulfate. Alternatively, it can be prepared synthetically from phytin using ammonium salts such as ammonium sulfate, ammonium chloride, ammonium nitrate, ammonium acetate, or ammonium phosphate for hydrolysis. M-Inositol is prohibited from organic foods, and milk-based infant formulas. 7 C.F.R. §§ 205.105(c), 205.605; 21C.F.R. § 107.100.
Beta-carotene is a synthetic food coloring agent, additive number E160a; 21 C.F.R. §§ 184.1245(a), 101.22(a)(4) (“artificial color” or “artificial coloring”). Beta-carotene is isolated from natural sources using column chromatography and separation by non-polar solvents, such as hexane (a synthetic neurotoxin and environmental hazard). Beta-carotene is not the same substance as vitamin A. Beta-carotene operates on the human body differently than natural vitamin A. For example, some studies indicate that beta-carotene supplementation increases the probability of lung cancer in cigarette smokers. Beta-carotene is not allowed in organic foods. 7 C.F.R. §§ 205.105(c), 205.605.
Biotin which is synthetically produced from fumaric acid, a hazardous substance. Biotin is not permitted in milk-based organic infant formulas. 7 C.F.R. § 205.605; 21 C.F.R. § 107.100.

How the Organic Industry Gets Away With Deceiving Consumers About Infant Formula

How does the organic industry get away with deceiving consumers about the ingredients in their infant formula? Well, to be honest, I’m not exactly sure. There was a period of years when the certifiers were basically just not doing anything about this. They knew it was happening and didn’t force the companies to reformulate. I’m sure they’ll state that they needed to use these ingredients in order to create a nutritious product, but I’m not buying it. If you can’t create an organic product, you shouldn’t deceive the consumer into thinking it’s organic. Find another certification!

When you purchase organic cereal, it isn’t fortified like other conventional cereals because they can’t use synthetic vitamins. Therefore, they just don’t. That works for the organic cereal industry, but not for the organic formula industry. I get they are federally mandated to put some of these ingredients inside the formula, but that’s not the point. Deception is the point.

As early as September 2011, the USDA declared that many of the ingredients above were not to be permitted in organic products. So it’s still a mystery to me today how this was allowed to happen back the,n but today is a different story. The USDA organic standards were updated and can now include synthetic vitamins and other types of ingredients in infant formula.

Additional Infant Formula Lab Results from Consumer Reports

Since our original evaluation of organic ingredients was published, Consumer Reports released a study that tested several infant baby formulas (both organic and non-organic) for various contaminants. Consumer Reports tested 41 popular infant baby formulas for heavy metals like lead, mercury, arsenic, and cadmium and also additional contaminants like Bisphenol-A (BPA), acrylamide, and PFAS “forever chemicals.” According to Consumer Reports, half the samples tested contained potentially harmful levels of at least one contaminant. Unfortunately, CR is not releasing which brands their lab found PFAS “forever chemicals” in because they didn’t feel it was statistically significant, but we have included what they did release from their latest testing in this post to help you choose the best formula for your infant. Those choices are at the bottom of this post.

Organic Formulas By Ingredients–Some Better Than Others

I pulled these ingredients right from the brand websites most of the time. Some of them were in all caps and I’ve left them that way for sanity purposes. Then I highlighted the ingredients in bold so you could see which ones were not allowable in organic food. The iconic American organic formula brands fared the worst. Newer ones did better and then European ones did the best. Organic standards for formula in Europe are different than the United States so it makes sense why they have less of the bad ingredients in there.

Not Our Favorite Organic Formulas

These brands contain 13 or more ingredients that are not allowable in organic food. Although they are still technically certified organic, they do not deserve the certification. Also, we have put here products that were tested by Consumer Reports and found to have contaminants like heavy metals. Formulas tested by Consumer Reports and found to have issues are marked with a *.

Cow’s Milk Formulas

Earth’s Best Organic Infant Formula: Organic lactose, organic nonfat milk, organic oils (organic palm or palm olein, organic soy, organic coconut, organic high oleic safflower oil or sunflower oil), organice whey protein concentrate, less than 1: of: mortierella alpina oil*, schizochytrium sp. oil **, fructooligosaccharides, lutein, l-carnitine, vitamin a palmitate, beta-carotene, vitamin d (cholecalciferol), vitamin e (dl-alpha tocopheryl acetate), mixed tocopherol concentrate, vitamin k (phyonadione), ascorbyl palmitate, thiamine hydrochloride, riboflavin, pyridoxine hydrochloride, cyanocobalamin, niacinamide, folic acid, calcium pantothenate, biotin, ascorbic acid, choline bitartrate, inositol, calcium carbonate, calcium chloride, calcium hydroxide, ferrous sulfate, zinc sulfate, manganese sulfate, cupric sulfate, magnesium phosphate, potassium bicarbonate, potassium chloride, potassium iodide, potassium hydroxide, potassium phosphate, sodium selenite, sodium citrate, taurine, organic soy lecithin, nucleotides (cytidine-5′-monophosphate, adenosine-5′-monophosphate, disodium uridine-5′-monophosphate, disodium guanosine-5′-monophosphate, disodium inosine-5′-monophosphate).
*A source of Arachidonic acid (ARA)
**A source of Docosahexaenoic acid
Earth’s Best Organic Gentle Infant Formula: Organic lactose, organic nonfat milk, organic maltodextrin, organic palm olein or palm oil, organic partially hydrolyzed whey protein, organic soy oil, organic coconut oil, organic high oleic (safflower or sunflower) oil, less than 2%: mortierella alpina oil*, schizochytrium sp. oil**, fructooligosaccharide, l-carnitine, mixed tocopherol concentrate, lutein, organic soy lecithin, taurine, calcium carbonate, calcium chloride, calcium hydroxide, cupric sulfate, ferrous sulfate, magnesium chloride, manganese sulfate, potassium bicarbonate, potassium hydroxide, potassium iodide, potassium phosphate, sodium citrate, sodium selenite, zinc sulfate, ascorbic acid, ascorbyl palmitate, beta-carotene, biotin, calcium pantothenate, choline chloride, cyanocobalamin, folic acid, inositol, lutein, niacinamide, pyridoxine hydrochloride, riboflavin, thiamin hydrochloride, vitamin a palmitate, vitamin d (cholecalciferol), vitamin e (dl-alpha tocopheryl acetate), vitamin k (phytonadione), nucleotides (cytidine-5-monophosphate, adenosine-5-monophosphate, disodium uridine-5-monophosphate, disodium guanosine-5-monophosphate, disodium inosine-5-monophosphate).
*A source of Arachidonic acid (ARA)
**A source of Docosahexaenoic acid
Munchkin Infant Formula Made with Organic Milk: Grass Fed Organic Nonfat Milk, Organic Lactose, Vegetable Oils [High 2-Palmetic Acid Vegetable Oil* (derived from Palm Stearin, High Oleic Sunflower), Soy, Coconut, High Oleic Sunflower, Sunflower]. Organic Whey Protein Concentrate, Alpha-Lactalbumin Whey Protein, Galactooligosaccharides**, less than 1%, Fructooligosaccharides**, Mortierella Alpina Oil***, Schizochytrium Sp. Oil****, Calcium Carbonate, Calcium Phosphate, Potassium Citrate, Ferrous Sulfate, Sodium Chloride, Potassium Chloride, Potassium Iodide, Magnesium Chloride, Magnesium Phosphate, Sodium Citrate, Zinc Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Manganese Sulfate, Sodium Selenite, Soy Lecithin, Mixed Tocopherols, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Choline Bitartrate, Ascorbic Acid, Niacinamide, Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin A Palmitate, Vitamin B12, Vitamin D3, Riboflavin, Thiamine Hydrochloride, Vitamin B6 Hydrochloride, Folic Acid, Vitamin K1, Biotin, Inositol, Vitamin E Acetate, Nucleotides (Cytidine 5′-Monophosphate, Disodium Uridine 5′-Monophosphate, Adenosine 5′-Monophosphate, Disodium Guanosine 5′-Monophosphate), Beta-Carotene, Lutein, Lactoferrin, Taurine, L-Carnitine.
*A source of OPO SN-2 Beta-Palmitate
**A type of prebiotic
***A source of arachidonic acid (ARA)
****A source of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)
Similac Organic Infant Formula: Organic Lactose, Organic Nonfat Milk, Organic High Oleic Sunflower Oil, Organic Soy Oil, Organic Coconut Oil. Less than 2% of: Schizochytrium Sp. Oil*, M. Alpina Oil†, Beta-Carotene, Lutein, Short-chain Fructooligosaccharides‡, Potassium Citrate, Calcium Carbonate, Ascorbic Acid, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Ferrous Sulfate, Salt, Choline Chloride, Choline Bitartrate, Taurine, Inositol, Magnesium Chloride, Zinc Sulfate, Mixed Tocopherols, d-Alpha-Tocopheryl Acetate, Niacinamide, Calcium Pantothenate, L-Carnitine, Vitamin A Palmitate, Copper Sulfate, Thiamine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Folic Acid, Manganese Sulfate, Phylloquinone, Biotin, Sodium Selenate, Vitamin D3, Vitamin B12, Potassium Iodide, Potassium Hydroxide, and Nucleotides (Adenosine 5′-Monophosphate, Cytidine 5′-Monophosphate, Disodium Guanosine 5′-Monophosphate, Disodium Uridine 5′-Monophosphate).
* Source of DHA.
† Source of ARA.
‡ Prebiotic.

Goat’s Milk Formulas

Kabrita Toddler Goat Milk Toddler Formula*: (not certified organic, but we included this one anyway) Lactose (Milk), Nonfat Dry Goat Milk, Goat Whey Protein Concentrate Powder (Milk), High sn2-Palmitic Acid Oil, Soybean Oil*, Galacto-oligosaccharides (Milk), Palm Kernel Oil, Sunflower Oil, and less than 1%: Tri Calcium Citrate, Mortierella Alpina Oil, Tri Sodium Citrate, Crypthecodinium Cohnii Oil, Calcium Carbonate, Potassium Hydroxide, Choline Bitartrate, Sodium L-ascorbate, Choline Chloride, Ferrous Sulphate, L-ascorbic Acid, Zinc Sulphate, Vitamin E Acetate, Inositol, Niacinamide, Calcium Pantothenate, Cupric Sulphate, Retinyl Acetate, Thiamin Hydrochloride, Vitamin B6 Hydrochloride, Riboflavin, Manganese Sulphate, Folic Acid, Potassium Iodide, Vitamin K1, D-biotin, Sodium Selenate, Vitamin D3, Cyanocobalamin. (Total of 6)(Consumer Reports found high levels of lead.)

Specialty Formulas

Earth’s Best Organic Sensitivity Formula: Organic glucose syrup solids, organic palm oil or palm olein, organic whey protein concentrate, organic milk protein concentrate, organic soy oil, organic coconut oil, organic high oleic (safflower or sunflower) oil, less than 1%: mortierella alpina oil*, schizochytrium sp. oil**, fructooligosaccharide (fos), lutein, l-carnitine, vitamin a palmitate, beta-carotene, vitamin d (cholecalciferol), vitamin k (phytonadione), mixed tocopherol concentrate, vitamin e (dl-alpha tocopheryl acetate), ascorbyl palmitate, thiamine hydrochloride, riboflavin, pyridoxine hydrochloride, cyanocobalamin, niacinamide, folic acid, calcium pantothenate, biotin, ascorbic acid, choline chloride, inositol, calcium chloride, calcium hydroxide, calcium phosphate, ferrous sulfate, zinc sulfate, manganese sulfate, cupric sulfate, magnesium phosphate, potassium bicarbonate, potassium chloride, potassium iodide, potassium hydroxide, sodium selenite, sodium citrate, taurine, organic soy lecithin, nucleotides (adenosine-5’-monophosphate, cytidine-5’-monophosphate, disodium guanosine-5’-monophosphate, disodium inosine-5’-monophosphate, disodium uridine-5’-monophosphate).
*A source of Arachidonic acid (ARA)
**A source of Docosahexaenoic acid

Better Organic Infant Formulas

These organic infant formulas contain between 8-13 ingredients that are not allowable in organic food. If you are going to buy organic, you may as well go for ones that are better. I’ve linked some of these brands up for you if you would like to purchase. We’ve also updated this category to include brands that were tested by Consumer Reports and found to have some contamination.

Cow’s Milk Formulas

Bobbie Organic Infant Formula: ORGANIC LACTOSE, ORGANIC NONFAT MILK, ORGANIC LOW ERUCIC ACID RAPESEED OIL, ORGANIC LINOLEIC SUNFLOWER OIL, ORGANIC WHEY PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, ORGANIC HIGH OLEIC SUNFLOWER OIL, ORGANIC COCONUT OIL, LESS THAN 2% OF: ORGANIC LOW ERUCIC ACID RAPESEED LECITHIN, SCHIZOCHYTRIUM SP. OIL*, MORTIERELLA ALPINA OIL**, CALCIUM CARBONATE, CALCIUM PHOSPHATE, SODIUM CHLORIDE, POTASSIUM CHLORIDE, POTASSIUM CITRATE, L-CARNITINE, MAGNESIUM PHOSPHATE, CHOLINE BITARTRATE, CALCIUM ASCORBATE, INOSITOL, POTASSIUM IODIDE, FERROUS SULFATE, d-ALPHA TOCOPHERYL ACETATE, ZINC SULFATE, VITAMIN C PALMITATE, NIACINAMIDE, CALCIUM PANTOTHENATE, BIOTIN, VITAMIN A, THIAMIN HYDROCHLORIDE, COPPER SULFATE, RIBOFLAVIN, MIXED TOCOPHEROLS, PYRIDOXINE HYDROCHLORIDE, SODIUM SELENATE, MANGANESE SULFATE, PHYLLOQUINONE, FOLIC ACID, VITAMIN D3, AND VITAMIN B12. (Or buy on Amazon)
* A source of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)
** A source of arachidonic acid (ARA)
Bobbie Organic Whole Milk Infant Formula: ORGANIC LACTOSE, ORGANIC WHOLE MILK, ORGANIC LINOLEIC SUNFLOWER OIL, ORGANIC LOW ERUCIC ACID RAPESEED OIL, ORGANIC WHEY PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, ORGANIC HIGH OLEIC SUNFLOWER OIL, ORGANIC COCONUT OIL, LESS THAN 2% OF: ORGANIC LOW ERUCIC ACID RAPESEED LECITHIN, SCHIZOCHYTRIUM SP. OIL* MORTIERELLA ALPINA OIL**, CALCIUM CARBONATE, CALCIUM PHOSPHATE, POTASSIUM CHLORIDE, SODIUM CHLORIDE, POTASSIUM CITRATE, L-CARNITINE, MAGNESIUM PHOSPHATE, CALCIUM ASCORBATE, CHOLINE BITARTRATE, INOSITOL, POTASSIUM IODIDE, FERROUS SULFATE, d-ALPHA TOCOPHERYL ACETATE, ZINC SULFATE, VITAMIN C PALMITATE, NIACINAMIDE, CALCIUM PANTOTHENATE, BIOTIN, VITAMIN A, THIAMIN HYDROCHLORIDE, COPPER SULFATE, RIBOFLAVIN, MIXED TOCOPHEROLS, PYRIDOXINE HYDROCHLORIDE, SODIUM SELENATE, MANGANESE SULFATE, PHYLLOQUINONE, FOLIC ACID, VITAMIN D3, VITAMIN B12. (Or buy on Amazon)
* A source of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)
** A source of arachidonic acid (ARA)
Happy Baby A2 Organic Infant Formula Stage 1: Organic lactose, organic nonfat milk±, organic galactooligosaccharides*, organic palm oil, organic coconut oil, organic whey protein concentrate, organic canola oil, organic high oleic sunflower oil, organic sunflower oil, and less than 1%: bifidobacterium breve m-16v, fructooligosaccharides*, tuna fish oil**, mortierella alpina oil***, calcium phosphate, sodium citrate, potassium chloride, potassium citrate, choline chloride, magnesium chloride, ascorbic acid, organic soy lecithin, sodium hydroxide, inositol, ferrous sulfate, zinc sulfate, vitamin e (dl-alpha tocopheryl acetate), calcium pantothenate, niacinamide, copper sulfate, retinyl palmitate, thiamine hydrochloride, pyridoxine hydrochloride, riboflavin, manganese sulfate, folic acid,  potassium iodide, ascorbyl palmitate, vitamin k (phytonadione), sodium selenite, biotin, vitamin d3 (cholecalciferol), cyanocobalamin. (Or buy on Amazon / Target)
± A2 beta ()-casein milk protein from a2 milk
*A type of prebiotic
**A source of docosahexaenoic acid (dha)
***A source of arachidonic acid (ara)
Happy Baby Stage 1 Infant Formula: Organic lactose, organic nonfat milk, organic galactooligosaccharides*, organic palm oil, organic coconut oil, organic whey protein concentrate, organic canola oil, organic high oleic sunflower oil, organic sunflower oil, and less than 1%: bifidobacterium breve m-16v, fructooligosaccharides*, tuna fish oil**, mortierella alpina oil***, calcium phosphate, sodium citrate, potassium citrate, potassium chloride, choline chloride, magnesium chloride, ascorbic acid, organic soy lecithin, sodium hydroxide, inositol, ferrous sulfate, zinc sulfate, vitamin e (dl-alpha tocopheryl acetate), calcium pantothenate, niacinamide, copper sulfate, retinyl palmitate, thiamine hydrochloride, pyridoxine hydrochloride, riboflavin, manganese sulfate, folic acid, potassium iodide, ascorbyl palmitate, vitamin k (phytonadione), sodium selenite, biotin, vitamin d3 (cholecalciferol), cyanocobalamin. (Or buy on Amazon / Target / Walmart)
*A type of prebiotic
**A source of docosahexaenoic acid (dha)
***A source of arachidonic acid (ara)
Jovie Stage 1 Organic Cow Milk Formula: ORGANIC full cream milk; ORGANIC demineralized whey power; ORGANIC oil mixture (sunflower, rapeseed); ORGANIC galacto-Oligosaccharides (GOS); ORGANIC lactose; ORGANIC fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS); oil from mortierella alpina (AA); oil from microalgae schizochytrium sp. (DHA); MINERALS (calcium carbonate, potassium chloride, magnesium chloride, calcium chloride, calcium hydroxide, sodium chloride, iron lactate, zinc sulfate, copper sulfate, manganese sulfate, potassium iodate, sodium selenate); VITAMINS (ascorbic acid, dl-alpha-tocopheryl acetate, niacinamide, calcium-d-pantothenate, retinyl acetate, thiamine hydrochloride, pyridoxine hydrochloride, folic acid, phytomenadione, cholecalciferol, biotin); L-cystine, L-choline-bitartrate, L-tryptophan, L-tyrosin, taurine, inositol, cytidine 5′ -monophosphate, uridine 5′ -monophosphate, inosine 5′-monophosphate, adenosine 5′-monophosphate, guanosine 5′- monophosphate.
Little Spoon Organic Whole Milk Infant Formula: Organic Lactose, Organic Grassfed Whole Milk*, Organic Whey Protein Concentrate, Organic High Oleic (Safflower or Sunflower) Oil, Organic Low Erucic Acid Rapeseed Oil, Organic Coconut Oil, Organic Linoleic (Sunflower or Safflower) Oil, Organic Skim Milk, Less than 1%: Fructooligosaccharide**, Organic Canola Lecithin, Schizochytrium Sp. Oil***, Mortierella Alpina Oil****, Potassium Citrate, Sodium Phosphate, Calcium Carbonate, Potassium Chloride, Magnesium Chloride, Potassium Hydroxide, Calcium Hydroxide, Sodium Chloride, Potassium Bicarbonate, Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, Cupric Sulfate, Manganese Sulfate, Potassium Iodide, Sodium Selenite, Choline Bitartrate, Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Ascorbyl Palmitate, Inositol, L-Carnitine, Mixed Tocopherols Concentrate, dl-Alpha Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E), Niacinamide (Vitamin B3), Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin A Palmitate, Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), Thiamine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B1), Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Folic Acid, Phytonadione (Vitamin K), Biotin, Cholecalciferol (Vitamin D3), Cyanocobalamin (Vitamin B12), Nucleotides (Adenosine-5’-Monophosphate, Cytidine-5’-Monophosphate, Disodium Guanosine-5’-Monophosphate, Disodium Inosine-5’-Monophosphate, Disodium Uridine-5’-Monophosphate).
*Source of naturally occurring MFGM components
** Source of prebiotic
***A source of Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA)
****A source of Arachidonic Acid (ARA)
Kendamil Stage 1 Organic First Infant Milk Formula : Organic Whole Milk, Organic Demineralised Milk Whey Protein Powder, Organic Skimmed Milk, Organic Vegetable Oils (Sunflower, Coconut, Rapeseed), Organic Galacto-Oligosaccharides, Calcium Citrate, Sodium Citrate, Potassium Chloride, Calcium Lactate, Magnesium Chloride, Docosahexaenoic Acid, Arachidonic Acid, Vitamin C, Potassium Hydroxide, Choline Bitartrate, Inositol, Taurine, Nucleotides (Cytidine-5’-Monophosphate, Disodium Uridine-5’-Monophosphate, Adenosine-5’-Monophosphate, Disodium Inosine-5’Monophosphate, Disodium Guanosine-5’ Monophosphate), Iron Pyrophosphate, Zinc Sulphate, Vitamin E, Niacin, Pantothenic Acid, Copper Sulphate, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Vitamin A, Vitamin B6, Manganese Sulphate, Folic Acid, Potassium Iodide, Sodium Selenite, Vitamin K, Vitamin D3, Biotin, Vitamin B12.(Use coupon code “MAMAVATION” for special promo — Order 12 Boxes/Cans of Formula (or more) to Get 2 Extra for Free.) (Or buy from The Milky Box and use code “LEAHSEGEDIE” for 10% off!)(Consumer Reports found lead in this product.)

Goat’s Milk Formulas

Bubs Organic Goat Milk Formula: Lactose, Goat Whole Milk Solids, Goat Whey Protein Concentrate, Vegetable Oil Blend (Palm Olein, High Oleic Sunflower Oil, Canola Oil, Sunflower Oil, Coconut Oil), Galacto-Oligosaccharide (GOS). Less than 2% of: Antioxidants (_-Tocopherol, Ascorbyl Palmitate), Biotin, Schizochytrium sp. Oil*, M. Alpina Oil**, Calcium Carbonate, Calcium Pantothenate, Calcium Phosphate, Choline Bitartrate, Cholecalciferol, Copper Sulfate, Cyanocobalamin, d-Alpha Tocopheryl Acetate, Folic Acid, Ferrous Sulfate, Inositol, L-Carnitine, Magnesium Sulfate, Manganese Sulfate, Niacinamide, Phytonadione, Potassium chloride, Potassium Iodide, Potassium Phosphate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin, Sodium Ascorbate, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Selenite, Soy Lecithin, Taurine, Thiamine Hydrochloride, Vitamin A Acetate, Zinc Sulfate.
* A source of DHA
** A source of ARA(Use coupon code BUBS20 for 20% off sitewide)(Consumer Reports tested this product and found no contaminants.)
Jovie Stage 1 Organic Goat Milk Formula: ORGANIC whole goat milk powder; ORGANIC lactose; ORGANIC vegetable oils (ORGANIC sunflower oil, ORGANIC rapeseed oil); ORGANIC galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS); docosahexaenoic acid-rich oil (DHA); arachidonic acid-rich oil (AA) ; minerals (calcium carbonate, sodium citrate, magnesium chloride, sodium chloride, iron lactate, zinc sulphate, copper sulphate, manganese sulphate, potassium iodide, sodium selenate); vitamins (ascorbic acid, dl-alpha-tocopheryl acetate, cholecalciferol, retinol acetate, niacinamide, calcium d-pantothenate, thiamine hydrochloride, pyridoxine hydrochloride, folic acid, riboflavin, phytomenadione, biotin, cobalamin); l-choline bitartrate; l-cysteine; l-tryptophan; l-tyrosine; inositol; l-carnitine l-tartrate.(Use discount code “MAMAVATION” for special promo — Order 12 Boxes/Cans of Formula (or more) to Get 2 Extra for Free.) (Or buy from The Milky Box and use code “LEAHSEGEDIE” for 10% off!)
Kendamil UK Goat Formula – Stage 1: Whole goat milk, demineralized goat whey powder, vegetable oils (sunflower, coconut, rapeseed), galacto-oligosaccharides, lactose, calcium citrate, choline bitartrate, potassium chloride, calcium lactate, sodium citrate, magnesium chloride, sodium ascorbate, oil from the microalgae Schizochytrium sp., L-tyrosine, L-phenylalanine, L-tryptophan, potassium hydroxide, inositol, oil from Mortierella alpina, L-isoleucine, taurine, calcium phosphate, ferrous sulfate, nucleotides (cytidine-5′-monophosphate, disodium uridine-5′-monophosphate, adenosine-5′-monophosphate, disodium inosine-5′-monophosphate, disodium guanosine-5′-monophosphate), L-carnitine, zinc sulfate, vitamin E, niacin, calcium pantothenate, copper sulfate, thiamin, riboflavin, vitamin A, vitamin B6, manganese sulfate, folic acid, potassium iodide, sodium selenite, vitamin K, vitamin D3, vitamin B12.
Nannycare Stage 1 Goat Milk Formula: Pasteurised whole goat milk, lactose, vegetable oil blend (high oleic sunflower oil, rapeseed oil, sunflower oil, antioxidants (sunflower lecithin, tocopherol-rich extract, pasteurised goat milk powders, marine fish oil powder (source of docosahexaenoic acid), Mortierella alpina oil powder (source of arachidonic acid), minerals, choline chloride, L-tyrosine, L-tryptophan, L-cystine, vitamins, L-isoleucine, taurine, L-carnitine. VITAMINS: dl-α-tocopheryl acetate, L-ascorbic acid, nicotinamide, cholecalciferol, retinyl acetate, calcium D-pantothenate, cyanocobalamin, phytonadione, thiamin hydrochloride, riboflavin, pyridoxine hydrochloride, folic acid, D-biotin. MINERALS: Sodium citrate, calcium citrate, calcium hydroxide, potassium chloride, ferrous sulphate, zinc sulphate, copper sulphate, manganese sulphate, potassium iodide, sodium selenite. (Use discount code “MAMAVATION” for special promo — Order 12 Boxes/Cans of Formula (or more) to Get 2 Extra for Free.) (Or buy from The Milky Box and use code “LEAHSEGEDIE” for 10% off!)
Pure Goat Stage 1 Organic First Infant Milk Formula: Goat milk*; Lactose*; whole goat milk powder*, vegetable oils* (sunflower, rapeseed), galacto-oligosaccharide syrup* (GOS), oil from microalgae Schizochytrium sp., oil from Mortierella alpina, choline bitartrate, minerals (calcium carbonate, sodium citrate, potassium citrate, calcium salts of orthophosphoric acid, ferrous sulphate, zinc sulphate, magnesium carbonate, copper sulphate, manganese sulphate, sodium selenite, potassium iodide), vitamins (sodium-L-ascorbate, L-ascorbyl 6-palmitate, calcium D-pantothenate, nicotinamide, DL-alfa tocopheryl acetate, retinyl acetate, thiamin hydrochloride, pyridoxine hydrochloride, folic acid, phytomenadione, D-biotin, cholecalciferol, cyanocobalamin), L-tyrosine, L-cysteine, L-tryptophan.
*From organic origin

Specialty Formulas

Bobbie Organic Gentle Infant Formula: ORGANIC LACTOSE, ORGANIC PARTIALLY HYDROLYZED WHEY PROTEIN, ORGANIC HIGH OLEIC (SAFFLOWER OR SUNFLOWER) OIL, ORGANIC LOW ERUCIC ACID RAPESEED OIL, ORGANIC COCONUT OIL, ORGANIC LINOLEIC (SAFFLOWER OR SUNFLOWER) OIL), LESS THAN 1%: ORGANIC LOW ERUCIC ACID RAPESEED LECITHIN, MORTIERELLA ALPINA OIL**, SCHIZOCHYTRIUM SP. OIL***, VITAMIN A PALMITATE, CHOLECALCIFEROL (VITAMIN D), dl-ALPHA TOCOPHERYL ACETATE (VITAMIN E), MIXED TOCOPHEROLS CONCENTRATE, PHYTONADIONE (VITAMIN K), ASCORBYL PALMITATE, THIAMINE HYDROCHLORIDE (VITAMIN B1), RIBOFLAVIN (VITAMIN B2), PYRIDOXINE HYDROCHLORIDE (VITAMIN B6), CYANOCOBALAMIN (VITAMIN B12), NIACINAMIDE (VITAMIN B3), FOLIC ACID, CALCIUM PANTOTHENATE, BIOTIN, ASCORBIC ACID (VITAMIN C), CHOLINE BITARTRATE, INOSITOL, L-CARNITINE, CALCIUM CARBONATE, CALCIUM CHLORIDE, CALCIUM HYDROXIDE, CALCIUM PHOSPHATE, FERROUS SULFATE, ZINC SULFATE, MANGANESE SULFATE, CUPRIC SULFATE, MAGNESIUM CHLORIDE, POTASSIUM BICARBONATE, POTASSIUM CHLORIDE, POTASSIUM PHOSPHATE, POTASSIUM HYDROXIDE, POTASSIUM IODIDE, SODIUM CHLORIDE, SODIUM SELENITE, SODIUM CITRATE. (Or buy on Amazon)
**A source of arachidonic acid (ARA)
***A source of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)

Best Organic Infant Formulas

These brands have 7 or less ingredients not allowable in organic food (from the original organic standards). Most of them contain only 2-3. I’m sorry to say that we haven’t found an organic formula that passes the organic standards. Do with that what you may, but we still wanted to show you the differences. Understand that the laws of the European Union are different than the United States, so purchasing European formula gets you closer to real organic. But none of these brands are perfect either. One other thing to note is that label disclosure in Europe is different than the United States, so we can’t be sure if Vitamin D is from a natural source or not in the European versions. However, even if the Vitamin D was from a synthetic source, each brand would still qualify for this category. These brands are linked up in case you would like to purchase them.

Cow’s Milk Formulas

Baby’s Only A2 Organic Milk Infant Formula: Organic Lactose, Organic Nonfat Milk (Source Of A2 Proteins), Organic High Oleic Sunflower, Organic Soybean Oil, Organic Whey Protein Concentrate, Organic Coconut Oil, Less Than 2% Of: Organic Soy Lecithin, Calcium Carbonate, Calcium Phosphate, Sodium Chloride, Potassium Chloride, Potassium Citrate, Magnesium Phosphate, Choline Bitartrate, Calcium Ascorbate, Inositol, Ferrous Sulfate, D-Alpha Tocopheryl Acetate, Zinc Sulfate, Niacinamide, Calcium Pantothenate, Biotin, Vitamin A, Thiamin Hydrochloride, Copper Sulfate, Riboflavin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Sodium Selenate, Manganese Sulfate, Phylloquinone, Folic Acid, Vitamin D3, And Vitamin B12.
Baby’s Only Organic Complete Nutrition Infant Formula: Organic Lactose, Organic Nonfat Milk, Organic High Oleic Sunflower Oil, Organic Soybean Oil, Organic Whey Protein Concentrate, Organic Coconut Oil, Less Than 2% of: Organic Soy Lecithin, Calcium Carbonate, Calcium Phosphate, Sodium Chloride, Potassium Chloride, Potassium Citrate, Magnesium Phosphate, Choline Bitartrate, Calcium Ascorbate, Inositol, Ferrous Sulfate, d-Alpha Tocopheryl Acetate, Zinc Sulfate, Niacinamide, Calcium Pantothenate, Biotin, Vitamin A, Thiamin Hydrochloride, Copper Sulfate, Riboflavin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Sodium Selenate, Manganese Sulfate, Phylloquinone, Folic Acid, Vitamin D3, and Vitamin B12. (Consumer Reports tested this product and found it clear of contaminants.)
Bellamy’s Organic, Step 1 Infant Formula: Organic milk solids [organic demineralized whey powder, organic whole milk liquid or powder, organic lactose powder, organic skim milk liquid or powder, organic whey protein concentrate], organic vegetable oil [organic palm olein oil, organic soybean oil, organic coconut oil, emulsifier (organic soybean lecithin)], organic galacto-oligosaccharides liquid (GOS) from milk, dried DHA and ARA oils [fish oil (tuna), sodium caseinate, emulsifier (soybean lecithin), antioxidants (sodium ascorbate, mixed tocopherols, ascorbyl palmitate)]. MINERALS: Calcium carbonate, di calcium hydrogen orthophosphate, di potassium hydrogen orthophosphate, magnesium chloride, potassium chloride, sodium citrate, potassium citrate, ferrous sulphate, zinc sulphate, copper sulphate, manganese sulphate, potassium iodide, sodium selenite. VITAMINS: Sodium ascorbate, vitamin E acetate, vitamin A acetate, niacinamide, calcium pantothenate, vitamin D3, thiamine hydrochloride, pyridoxine hydrochloride, folic acid, vitamin K1, d-biotin, vitamin B12. (Not tested by Consumer Reports)
Bubs 365 Day Grass Fed Infant Formula: Cow’s Milk Lactose, Vegetable Oil Blend (High Oleic Sunflower, Coconut, Soy, Canola), Whole Cow’s Milk Powder, Cow’s Milk Whey Protein Concentrate, Non-fat Cow’s Milk Powder. Less than 2% of: Ascorbic Acid, Bifidobacterium longum BB536, Biotin, Calcium Carbonate, Calcium Pantothenate, Calcium Phosphate, Cholecalciferol, Copper Sulfate, Cyanocobalamin, d-Alpha Tocopheryl Acetate, Schizochytrium sp. Oil*, M. Alpina Oil**, Folic Acid, Ferrous Sulfate, Magnesium Chloride, Manganese Sulfate, Niacinamide, Galacto-Oligosaccharide (GOS), Phytonadione, Potassium Chloride, Potassium Citrate, Potassium Iodide, Potassium Phosphate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Selenite, Soy Lecithin, Thiamine Hydrochloride, Vitamin A Acetate, Zinc Sulfate.
* A source of DHA
** A source of ARA
Bubs Organic Grass Fed Infant Formula Stage 1: Organic Lactose, Organic Vegetable Oil Blend (High Oleic Sunflower, Coconut, Soy, Canola), Organic Whole Milk Powder, Organic Whey Protein Concentrate, Organic Skim Milk Powder, Organic Galacto-Oligosaccharide (GOS), Emulsifier (Soy Lecithin), Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA, from Algae), Arachidonic Acid (ARA), Probiotic Bifidobacterium longum BB536. Vitamins: Ascorbic Acid, dl-α-Tocopheryl Acetate, Vitamin A Acetate, Niacinamide, Calcium Pantothenate, Cholecalciferol, Thiamine Hydrochloride, Cyanocobalamin, Phytonadione, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Folic Acid, D-Biotin. Minerals: Potassium Phosphate, Calcium Phosphate, Magnesium Chloride, Sodium Chloride, Calcium Carbonate, Potassium Chloride, Ferrous Sulphate, Potassium Citrate, Sodium Citrate, Zinc Sulphate, Copper Sulphate, Manganese Sulphate, Potassium Iodide, Sodium Selenite. (Use coupon code BUBS20 for 20% off sitewide) (Consumer Reports tested this product and found no contaminants.)
HiPP Dutch Stage 1 Combiotic Organic Infant Formula: Skimmed milk*, whey product*, vegetable oils* (palm oil*, rapeseed oil*, sunflower oil*), lactose*, galacto-oligosaccharides* from lactose*, fish oil¹, potassium chloride, Mortierella alpina oil, choline, sodium citrate, L-phenylalanine, calcium salts of orthophosphoric acid, sodium selenite, zinc sulfate, calcium carbonate, magnesium carbonate, L-tryptophan, L-histidine, iron sulfate, potassium iodate, vitamin C, natural lactic acid culture (Limosilactobacillus fermentum hereditum®²), vitamin E, niacin, pantothenic acid, manganese sulfate, copper sulfate, vitamin A, vitamin B1, vitamin B6, calcium L-methylfolate, vitamin K, vitamin D, D-biotin, vitamin B12.
*from organic farming
¹ contains DHA (as required by the legislation for all infant formulas)
² Lactobacillus fermentum CECT5716
Calcium-L-methylfolate = Metafolin®
HiPP Dutch Stage 1 Organic Formula: Whole milk*¹, skimmed milk powder, demineralized whey powder* (partially demineralized whey powder), vegetable oils* (palm oil², sunflower oil, rapeseed oil*), lactose*, calcium carbonate, potassium chloride, oil from the microalgae Schizochytrium sp., oil from Mortierella alpina, choline hydrogen tartrate, L-tyrosine, calcium salts of orthophosphoric acid, vitamin C, L-tryptophan, sodium chloride, ferrous sulfate, zinc sulfate, vitamin E, magnesium carbonate, niacin, copper sulfate, pantothenic acid, vitamin A, thiamine, manganese sulfate, potassium iodide, folic acid, sodium selenite, vitamin K, vitamin D, biotin, vitamin B12.
*From organic farming
**contains milk
¹ 100 g infant milk powder is made from 175 ml of skim milk
² from sustainable farming
² contains DHA (required by law for infant formula)(Use coupon code “MAMAVATION” for special promo — Order 12 Boxes/Cans of Formula (or more) to Get 2 Extra for Free.) (Or buy from The Milky Box and use code “LEAHSEGEDIE” for 10% off!) (Consumer Reports tested this product and found no contaminants.)
HiPP PUR Stage 1 Organic Whole Milk Infant Formula: Whey Product*, Vegetable Oils* (Sunflower Oil*, Rapeseed Oil*), whole milk powder* 18%, lactose*, potassium chloride, calcium carbonate, fish oil, emulsiﬁer lecithin* (soy), sodium citrate, choline, L-tyrosine, Mortierella alpina oil, vitamin C, magnesium carbonate, L-tryptophan, taurine, ferrous sulfate (iron), zinc sulfate, niacin, vitamin E, copper sulfate, pantothenic acid, vitamin A, vitamin B1, potassium iodate, vitamin B6, folic acid, calcium phosphate, potassium citrate, vitamin K, sodium selenite, manganese sulfate, D-biotin, vitamin D, vitamin B12.
*From organic production
Holle A2 Stage 1 (0-6 Months) Formula: Skimmed A2 Milk*¹, Whey Product* (Partially Demineralized Whey Powder*), vegetable oils* (palm oil², sunflower oil, rapeseed oil*), lactose*, calcium carbonate, potassium chloride, Schizochytrium sp. microalgae oil³, Mortierella Alpina oil, choline bitartrate, L-tyrosine, calcium salts of orthophosphoric acid, vitamin C, L-tryptophan, sodium chloride, magnesium chloride, zinc sulfate, vitamin E, copper sulfate, pantothenic acid, vitamin A, thiamine, vitamin B6, manganese sulfate, potassium iodate, folic acid, sodium selenate, vitamin K, vitamin D, biotin, vitamin B12.
*From organic farming
¹ 100 g infant milk powder is made from 174 ml of skim milk
² from sustainable farming
³ contains DHA (Omega-3, legally required for infant initial nutrition), from sustainable cultivation. DHA in this product is plant-based (derived from algae instead of fish oil).(Use discount code “MAMAVATION” for special promo — Order 12 Boxes/Cans of Formula (or more) to Get 2 Extra for Free.) (Or buy from The Milky Box and use code “LEAHSEGEDIE” for 10% off!) (Consumer Reports did not test this product, but they did clear another product by this brand.)
Holle Stage 1 Organic Formula: Skimmed milk**¹, whey product* (partially demineralized whey powder), vegetable oils* (palm oil*³, sunflower oil*, rapeseed oil*), lactose*, calcium carbonate, potassium chloride, oil from the microalgae Schizochytrium sp.², oil from Mortierella Alpina, choline bitartrate, calcium salts of orthophosphoric acid, vitamin C, L-tyrosine, sodium chloride, L-tryptophan, iron sulfate, zinc sulfate, vitamin E, magnesium carbonate, niacin, copper sulfate, pantothenic acid, vitamin A, vitamin B1, vitamin B6, manganese sulfate, potassium iodide, folic acid, sodium selenite, Vitamin K, vitamin D, biotin, vitamin B12
*from organic farming
**Demeter (from biodynamic farming; Demeter total content 67%)
¹ 100 g of infant milk powder is made from 175 ml of skimmed milk
² Contains DHA (Omega-3, legally required for infant formula) from sustainable cultivation. The DHA in this product is plant-based (sourced from algae instead of fish oil)
³ from sustainable farming(Use coupon code “MAMAVATION” for special promo — Order 12 Boxes/Cans of Formula (or more) to Get 2 Extra for Free.) (Or buy from The Milky Box and use code “LEAHSEGEDIE” for 10% off!) (Consumer Reports tested this product and found no contaminants.)
Lebenswert Bio Organic Infant Formula: Whole milk*¹, skimmed milk powder, demineralized whey powder* (partially demineralized whey powder), vegetable oils* (palm oil², sunflower oil, rapeseed oil*), lactose*, calcium carbonate, potassium chloride, oil from the microalgae Schizochytrium sp., oil from Mortierella alpina, choline hydrogen tartrate, L-tyrosine, calcium salts of orthophosphoric acid, vitamin C, L-tryptophan, sodium chloride, ferrous sulfate, zinc sulfate, vitamin E, magnesium carbonate, niacin, copper sulfate, pantothenic acid, vitamin A, thiamine, manganese sulfate, potassium iodide, folic acid, sodium selenite, vitamin K, vitamin D, biotin, vitamin B12.
*From organic farming
**contains milk
¹ 100 g infant milk powder is made from 175 ml of skim milk
² from sustainable farming
² contains DHA (required by law for infant formula) (Use coupon code “MAMAVATION” for special promo — Order 12 Boxes/Cans of Formula (or more) to Get 2 Extra for Free.) (Or buy from The Milky Box and use code “LEAHSEGEDIE” for 10% off!) (Consumer Reports did not test this product.)
Löwenzahn Organics Stage Pre Infant Formula: Skimmed Milk*, Partly Demineralised Whey Powder*, Oil Mixture* (Palm Oil* **, Sunflower Oil*, Rapeseed Oil*), Galacto-Oligosaccharides* (From Lactose), Lactose*, Calcium Carbonate, L-Tyrosine, Potassium Chloride, Microalgae Oil (From C. Cohnii), Magnesium Chloride, Oil From Mortierella Alpina, Calcium Chloride, Calcium Hydroxide, Choline, Sodium Chloride, L-Tryptophan, Inositol, Iron Lactate, Vitamin C, Zinc Sulfate, Vitamin E, Niacin, Pantothenic Acid, Copper Sulfate, Vitamin A, Vitamin B1, Manganese Sulfate, Vitamin B6, Potassium Iodate, Folic Acid, Sodium Selenate, Vitamin K1, Vitamin D3, Biotin
* from organic agriculture
** sustainably produced (Or buy from The Milky Box and use code “LEAHSEGEDIE” for 10% off!) (Consumer Reports did not test this product.)
Prémibio Organic Premilait Infant Cow Formula: Organic lactose, organic vegetable oil (sunflower, coconut, rapeseed), organic maltodextrin from corn, organic skimmed milk powder, organic whey protein, choline, inositol, L-carnitine, algal DHA*, Minerals (natural calcium carbonate, natural magnesium oxide, potassium chloride, sodium phosphate, ferrous lactate, zinc sulfate, copper sulfate, manganese sulfate, sodium selenite, potassium iodide), vitamins (A (vitamin A acetate), natural D3 (cholecalciferol), natural E (tocopherol), K1 (phylloquinone), C (ascorbic acid), B1 (thiamine mononitrate), B2 (riboflavin), B6 (pyridoxine hydrochloride), B12 (cyanocobalamin), pantothenic acid (D-calcium pantothenate), niacin (niacinamide), folic acid, D-biotin), organic sunflower lecithin, probiotics (Bifidobacterium lactis). * Docosahexaeonic acid from the algae Schitzochytrium sp. (Use discount code “LEAHSEGEDIE” for 10% off!) (Consumer Reports did not test this product.)
Topfer Stage 1 Lactana Organic Infant Formula: Skimmed milk *¹, Whey powder partly demineralized*, Vegetable oils* (Palm oil*², Sunflower oil*, Rapeseed oil*), Maltodextrin*, Lactose*, Skimmed milk powder*¹, Docosahexaenoic acid from fish oil, Calcium carbonate, Arachidonic acid from oil from Mortierella alpina, Potassium chloride, Choline bitartrate, Sodium chloride, Vitamin C, Ferrous sulphate, Zinc sulphate, L-tyrosine, L-tryptophan, Copper sulphate, Bifidobacteria cultures (B. breve, B.bifidum, B.infantis, B.longum), Vitamin E, Vitamin A, Sodium selenite, Vitamin D, Niacin, Manganese sulphate, Pantothenic acid, Vitamin B12, Vitamin K, Folic acid, Biotin, Vitamin B1, Vitamin B6, Potassium iodate
¹ Organic milk from the Algau
² Organic palm oil from sustainable cultivation
*from organic production

Goat’s Milk Formulas

HiPP Goat Milk Formula Stage PRE: Skimmed Goat Milk*, Lactose*, Vegetable Oils* (Palm Oil*, Rapeseed Oil, Sunflower Oil), Skimmed Goat Milk Powder*, Galacto-Oligosaccharides* from Lactose, *Fish Oil¹, Choline, Calcium Carbonate, Mortierella Alpina Oil, L-tyrosine, sodium citrate, Vitamin C, L-tryptophan, L-Cystine, Zinc Sulfate, Iron Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Niacin, Pantothenic Acid, Vitamin E, Vitamin A, Vitamin B1, Vitamin B6, Folic Acid, Vitamin K, Potassium Iodide, Sodium Selenite, Vitamin D, Biotin, Vitamin B12
* from biological production
¹ contains DHA (as required by the legislation for all infant formulas)
**Organic Palm Oil from Sustainable cultivation, certified by independent inspection bodies(Use coupon code “MAMAVATION” for special promo — Order 12 Boxes/Cans of Formula (or more) to Get 2 Extra for Free.) (Or buy from The Milky Box and use code “LEAHSEGEDIE” for 10% off!) (Consumer Reports did not test this product, but they did clear another product by this brand.)
Holle 1 Bio Goat Formula: Whole Goat Milk Powder**¹ 38.6%, Lactose*, Vegetable Oils* (Sunflower Oil*, Rapeseed Oil*), calcium carbonate, choline bitartrate, oil from the microalgae Schizochytrium sp.², oil from Mortierella alpina, sodium citrate, potassium citrate, L-tyrosine, calcium salts of orthophosphoric acid, vitamin C, L-tryptophan, L-cystine, ferrous sulfate, zinc sulfate, magnesium carbonate, pantothenic acid, niacin, copper sulfate, vitamin E, vitamin A, vitamin B1, vitamin B6, manganese sulfate, folic acid, sodium selenite, vitamin K1, potassium iodide, biotin, vitamin D, vitamin B12
*from organic farming
**Demeter (from biodynamic farming; Demeter total content 67%)
¹ 100g of powdered infant milk is made from 317 ml of whole milk
² contains DHA (required by law for follow-on formula) (Use coupon code “MAMAVATION” for special promo — Order 12 Boxes/Cans of Formula (or more) to Get 2 Extra for Free.) (Or buy from The Milky Box and use code “LEAHSEGEDIE” for 10% off!) (Consumer Reports did not test this product, but they did clear another product by this brand.)
LittleOak Natural Goat Milk Infant Formula with Olive Oil – Stage 1: Full Cream Goat Milk Solids, Lactose, LittleOak Proprietary Oil Blend (Sunflower Oil, Pressed Olive Oil, Pressed Coconut Oil, Pressed Flaxseed Oil), Galacto-oligosaccharide (GOS), Minerals (Tricalcium Phosphate, Calcium Citrate, Trisodium Citrate, Magnesium Sulphate, Ferrous Lactate, Zinc Sulphate, Copper Gluconate, Sodium Selenite, Manganese Sulphate, Potassium Iodide), DHA Powder (Docosahexaenoic Oil from Schizochytrium sp.), Amino Acids (L-Tyrosine, L-Cysteine, L-Leucine, L-Tryptophan, L-Isoleucine), ARA Powder (Arachidonic Acid Oil from Mortierella alpine, Sodium Caseinate), Choline, Vitamins (Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Vitamin B3, Vitamin A, Vitamin D3, Vitamin B5, Vitamin K1, Vitamin B1, Vitamin B6, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B12, Folic Acid, Biotin), Inositol, L-Carnitine.
Löwenzahn Organics Goat Stage Pre Infant Formula: Whole goat’s milk powder* 38.7%, lactose* (from milk**), vegetable oils* (sunflower oil*, rapeseed oil*), galactooligosaccharides* (from milk**), L-choline, calcium carbonate, microalgae oil from C. cohnii (contains milk**), Mortierella alpina oil (contains milk**), L-cystine, sodium chloride, calcium hydroxide, vitamin C, L-tryptophan, L-tyrosine, trisodium citrate, ferrous lactate, inositol, vitamin E, zinc sulfate, L-carnitine, niacin, pantothenic acid, copper sulfate, vitamin A, vitamin B1, vitamin B6, folic acid, vitamin B2, manganese sulfate, potassium iodide, sodium selenite, vitamin K1, vitamin D3, biotin, vitamin B12.
* from organic farming
** cow’s milk
Prémibio Organic Prémichèvre Infant Goat Formula- Stage 1: Organic whole milk powder from goat, organic maltodextrin from corn, organic vegetable fat (sunflower, coconut, rapeseed), organic lactose from goat, algal DHA*, organic sunflower lecithin, choline, inositol, L-carnitine. Minerals (sodium chloride, natural calcium carbonate, natural magnesium oxide, ferrous sulfate, zinc sulfate, copper sulfate pentahydrate, manganese sulfate, sodium selenite, potassium iodide. Vitamins (A (retinyl acetate), D3 (cholecalciferol), natural E (tocopherol), K1, C (sodium ascorbate), B1 (thiamine hydrochloride), B2 (riboflavin), B6 (pyridoxine hydrochloride), B12 (cyanocobalamin), pantothenic acid (calcium D-pantothenate), niacin (nicotinamide), folic acid, D-biotin).
* Docosahexaeonic acid from the algae Schitzochytrium sp. (Use discount code “LEAHSEGEDIE” for 10% off!) (Consumer Reports did not test this product.)

Specialty Formulas

Bebe M (Bebe Mandorle) Organic Rice-Based Infant Formula – Stage 1: Corn maltodextrins* (origin EU); vegetable oils (coconut* extract, sweet almond*, rapeseed*), hydrolyzed rice* proteins 16,5%, corn* starch, EPA/DHA, minerals (calcium phosphate, calcium carbonate, potassium phosphate, potassium chloride, magnesium phosphate, zinc oxide, copper sulfate, iron sulfate, manganese sulfate, potassium iodide, sodium selenite), vitamins (C, PP, B5, E, B2, A, B1, B6, B9, K, B8, D, B12), L-Lysine, L-Tryptophan.
* from organic farming (Use discount code “LEAHSEGEDIE” for 10% off!) (Also note, most rice has high levels of arsenic so please only use if necessary.) (Consumer Reports did not test this product.)
Berdie Organic Sprout Plant-Based Infant Formula: Organic Hydrolysed Rice Starch, Organic Oil Blend (Organic Coconut Oil, Organic Canola Oil, Organic Sunflower Oil, emulsifier organic sunflower lecithin, antioxidant natural mixed tocopherols), Sprout Organic Protein Blend (Organic Sprouted Rice Protein, Organic Sprouted Pea Protein), Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA from algae), Arachidonic Acid (ARA from fungal), Vitamins, Minerals & Amino Acid Mix (Potassium, Calcium, Chloride, Phosphorus, L-Lysine, Choline, Sodium, Inositol, Vitamin C, L-Tryptophan, L-Threonine, Magnesium, Iron, Niacin, L-carnitine, Zinc, Vitamin E, Pantothenic Acid, Vitamin A, Riboflavin, Copper, Thiamin, Vitamin B6, Folic Acid, Manganese, Vitamin K1, Iodine, Biotin, Selenium, Vitamin D2, Vitamin B12).
HiPP Comfort German Special Formula: Lactose, Maltodextrin, Vegetable Oils (Palm Oil**, Rapeseed Oil, Sunflower Oil), Starch, Beta-Palmitate¹ (From Palm Oil And Sunflower Oil), Hydrolyzed Whey Protein, Galactooligosaccharides From Lactose, Calcium Orthophosphates, Emulsifier Citric Acid Esters Of Mono- And Diglycerides Of Fatty Acids, Potassium Chloride, Fish Oil, Choline, M. Alpina Oil, L-Phenylalanine, L-Tyrosine, Potassium Hydroxide, Magnesium Chloride, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Hydroxide, L-Arginine, L-Tryptophan, L-Histidine, Calcium Carbonate, Zinc Sulfate, Calcium Chloride, Inositol, Potassium Iodate, Ferrous Sulfate, L-Carnitine, Vitamin E, Pantothenic Acid, Natural Lactic Acid Culture (Lactobacillus Fermentum Hereditum®²), Niacin, Copper Sulfate, Vitamin A, Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Manganese Sulfate, Vitamin B6, Metafolin (Calcium L-Methylfolate), Vitamin K, Biotin, Vitamin D, Sodium Selenate, Vitamin B12
¹ Special structured fat, oriented after breast milk
² Lactobacillus Fermentum CECT5716
** Organic palm oil from sustainable cultivation certified by independent inspection bodies
HiPP HA Stage 1 (0-6 Months) Hypoallergenic Combiotic Formula: Lactose, Vegetable Oils (Palm Oil**, Rapeseed Oil, Sunflower Oil), Whey Protein Hydrolysate, Galactooligosaccharides From Lactose, Calcium Orthophosphates, Potassium Chloride, Emulsifier: Citric Acid Esters Of Mono AND Diglycerides Of Fatty Acids, M. Alpina Oil¹, Fish Oil¹, L-Tyrosine, L-Phenylalanine, Potassium Hydroxide, Sodium Hydroxide, Vitamin C, Magnesium Carbonate, Choline, L-Tryptophan, Calcium Carbonate, Inositol, Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, L-Carnitine, Natural Lactic Acid Culture (Lactobacillus Fermentum Hereditum®²), Pantothenic Acid, Niacin, Vitamin A, Vitamin B6, Copper Sulfate, Vitamin E, Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Manganese Sulfate, Potassium Iodate, Metafolin (Calcium L-Methylfolate), Vitamin K, Sodium Selenate, Biotin, Vitamin D, Vitamin B12
* From organic production
¹ LCP (omega-3 AND -6) = long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids.)
² Lactobacillus fermentum CECT5716
** Organic palm oil from sustainable cultivation certified by independent inspection bodies(Use discount code “MAMAVATION” for special promo — Order 12 Boxes/Cans of Formula (or more) to Get 2 Extra for Free.) (Or buy from The Milky Box and use code “LEAHSEGEDIE” for 10% off!) (Consumer Reports did not test this product, but they did clear another product by this brand.)

Other Options For Moms Who Don’t Want to Purchase Organic Formula

I get it. This sucks. But there are other options out there. There are actually more options today than when I was breastfeeding, so that’s great news to anyone reading this post today.

Please make sure to follow the instructions of your Pediatrician when feeding your baby. No matter how organic you want to be, there may be issues you are not aware of that may complicate the health of your baby. So always check all these recipes with your doctor. Below is the best recipe I’ve found on how to make infant formula.

Infant Formula Recipe from Weston A. Price

But please DO NOT feed your baby any homemade vegan formulas. These have been known to harm children! I’m not joking.

Another option is human milk sharing! Now that we have social media, milk sharing has become easier to connect with safe donors. Check out “Human Milk 4 Human Babies” and “Eats on Feets.” There is also the Human Milk Banking Association of America for a map of local milk banks. But there are some risks you take when you give your child someone else’s breastmilk. Antibodies, white blood cells, and other immune components are transferred in human milk. Viruses and pharmaceutical medication can also be transferred into human milk. So here are some tips from The Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses.

Get a complete health history from the donor mother. It is essential to understand the donor mother’s past and current medical history as well as lifestyle choices is essential. It is also acceptable for the mother to ask the donor mother for a copy of her serologic testing from pregnancy.
Find out how the milk will be expressed, labeled, stored, and transported. The donor mother, first and foremost, should have an excess supply of milk that she does not need for her infant. When mothers express milk, care should be taken to ensure the safety of the milk. At our institution, we have mothers wash their pump equipment with hot, soapy water and rinse well after every use and have them sterilize the equipment daily.
What types of containers will be used for storage (the recipient mother could supply these to the donor mother), and how will the milk be stored (fresh or frozen) and transported from the donor mother to the recipient? Conversations between the recipient mother and donor mother should be ongoing to ensure the safety of the milk. In this area, the research literature has also evaluated the use of home heat treatment to “pasteurize” the milk. Research has shown that heat treatment of the milk on a stovetop is not the same as Holder pasteurization, this technique has the ability to destroy viruses. It is important to note that heat treatment also destroys some of the beneficial components of human milk.

The post Best (& Worst) Organic Infant Formulas — Cow’s Milk, Goat Milk, & Specialty appeared first on MAMAVATION.

Researchers Found Plasticizers, Flame Retardants & UV-Filter Exposure via Mattresses

Leah Segedie — Mon, 28 Sep 2026 18:38:06 +0000

Scientists found toxic plasticizers, fire retardants, and semivolatile organic compounds (SVOCs) inside conventional children’s mattresses. New research from the University of Toronto shows that many conventional children’s mattresses are releasing hormone-disrupting plasticizers (phthalates), flame retardants, UV filters, and other semivolatile organic compounds (SVOCs) right into the air and onto skin in that cozy sleeping zone. What mattress should you choose when it’s time for you to get a children’s mattress or an adult mattress? You’ve trusted Mamavation to bring you consumer studies like safest shower filters, best air purifiers, and safest water filters; now join us as we bring you a study recently published that’ll make you want to purchase an organic mattress instead.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.

Researchers Found Toxic Semivolatile Organic Compounds Being Emitted from Mattresses

Researchers from the University of Toronto published a study in Environmental Science & Technology and Environmental Science & Technology Letters about the toxins emitted from conventional children’s mattresses. Researchers tested 16 children’s mattresses and found that children under 4 years old are exposed to elevated levels of hormone-disrupting plasticizers, fire retardants, and semivolatile organic compounds (SVOCs) while sleeping.

Here are some of the main points from the study:

Scientists found 21 SVOCs in four classes in 16 children’s mattresses: phthalates, organophosphate esters, benzophenones, & salicylates
One mattress exceeded regulatory limits for specific phthalates: di-n-butyl phthalate (DnBP), diisobutyl phthalate (DiBP), di-n-octyl phthalate (DnOP), and diisononyl phthalate (DiNP).
Another mattress contained high levels of tris(2-chloroethyl) phosphate (TCEP)
Five mattresses had 1-3% of several organophosphate esters.
12 out of 45 SVOCs were detected at room temperature.
20 out of 45 SVOCs were detected at body temperature
21 out of 45 SVOCs were detected at body temperature when body weight applied.

Researchers suggest that, given the likelihood of exposure, “these results show the need for stricter regulations of all harmful chemicals in children’s mattresses and improved oversight by manufacturers to minimize the use of harmful chemicals, especially when they are not needed.”

Mamavation has recommendations for the safest mattresses for adults and children at the bottom of this post.

Chemicals Found in Conventional Children’s Mattresses

These are a list of the four categories of chemicals found in conventional children’s mattresses. Each one are very concerning when you understand that children are being exposed. These chemicals are also toxic to adults as well.

Orthophthalates — Phthalates are a family of synthetic chemicals, specifically esters of phthalic acid. They are colorless, odorless, oily liquids primarily used as plasticizers—substances added to plastics (especially polyvinyl chloride, or PVC/vinyl) to make them softer, more flexible, durable, and transparent. Phthalates are linked to a range of adverse health effects in numerous studies involving both animals and humans. They are especially concerning because phthalates are associated with disruption of the endocrine hormone system. Hormones act at extremely low concentrations and play essential roles in development–determining how cells, tissues, and organs form–as well as in metabolism, reproduction, and immune function; even small disruptions can therefore have outsized biological consequences. Epidemiological studies have shown that phthalate exposure can alter hormone levels in ways that interfere with these critical processes. Phthalates are linked to Weight gain & obesity, Shorter height, Precocious puberty, Asthma, Allergies, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) , Lower IQ, Social impairment, Type II diabetes and insulin resistance, Poor cardiovascular health, Thyroid function and increased risk of thyroid cancer, Females: pregnancy loss and preterm birth, low birth weight, earlier menopause, Males: genital development, semen quality, reduced “masculine” play, Inhibits testosterone production, Shortened anogenital distance, or shortened “taint”, & Shortened length of penis.
Organophosphates esters — Also called organophosphate flame retardants (OPFRs) or simply phosphate esters. These are a class of synthetic chemicals with the general structure O=P(OR)₃. They are esters of phosphoric acid, and some are chlorinated, others are not. OPFRs are used as flame retardants but also as plasticizers. They are found in lots of furniture, foam, and upholstery, so it makes perfect sense that they were found in conventional mattresses. Prenatal exposure is linked to lower IQ, impaired cognitive and behavioral development, increased externalizing behaviors (e.g., hyperactivity, attention issues), and possible internalizing problems. There are also associations with reduced fertilization success, pregnancy loss, preterm birth, and altered hormone levels, as well as lowered semen quality and issues with thyroid hormones. Other impacts are links to asthma, allergic disease, and possible lung inflammation, especially when dust is inhaled.
Benzophenones — Benzophenones are a class of organic compounds belonging to the aromatic ketones family, with the parent compound being benzophenone (diphenyl ketone). They are widely used as UV filters and stabilizers because they absorb ultraviolet (UV) radiation and convert it into harmless heat, preventing damage from sunlight. These endocrine-disrupting chemicals are linked to various health problems, such as altered hormone levels, including a decrease in testosterone, reduced sperm quality, prolonged periods, endometrial changes, decreased fertility, developmental toxicity in offspring, endometrosis, uterine fibroids, and behavior changes, such as hyperactivity, cognition issues in children, etc.
Salicylates — Salicylates are a group of chemicals derived from salicylic acid. They include natural forms found in plants and the synthetic versions of salts and esters. Children can suffer from an acute toxicity of salicylates based on oral or excessive topical use. Symptoms include tinnitus (ringing in the ears), nausea, vomiting, rapid breathing, confusion, seizures, coma, or death.

Practical Tips For Families to Take Right Now

Here are some practical steps parents can take right now to help their families avoid hormone-disrupting chemicals in the bed.

Wash bedding and pajamas frequently — They act as a partial barrier.
Keep the sleep space simple — Fewer toys, stuffed animals, and extras on the bed mean less surface area to hold onto chemicals.
Air out the room — Good ventilation helps lower airborne levels. Here are our recommended air purifiers.
When buying new, look for mattresses that are Greenguard Gold certified, GOTS-certified organic, or clearly marketed as free of added flame retardants and phthalates. Ask manufacturers for full chemical disclosures (many still won’t give them).
Toss the old, go with the new — Older mattresses may release more of certain phthalates over time, so consider replacing yours if it is very old and you’re concerned. (We have recommendations at the bottom of this post.)
Advocate — These chemicals aren’t required to meet modern flammability standards in Canada or the U.S. Push to extend the same restrictions that already exist on toys to mattresses and bedding.

More Consumer Studies Testing Products for Young Families

You may also be interested in our additional investigations to help you avoid different types of hormone-disrupting chemicals.

Kids & Babies

Supplements

Home Goods & Other Consumer Products

Cleaning Products

Other Kitchen Accessories

Small Kitchen Appliances

Food Packaging

Serving & Plating

Cookware & Bakeware

Clothing

Feminine Care

Personal Care Products

Full list of investigations here.

Recommendations For Children’s Mattresses

Best Children’s Mattresses

These are our highest recommended brands that are GOTS certified.

Avocado Green Crib Mattress (Price: $599)(This brand also produces mattresses made from polyurethane foam in the same manufacturing plant.)
Naturepedic Breathable Organic Crib Mattress (Price: $369-399) (Take 20% off your Naturepedic total purchase with code MAMAVATION20.) While supplies last. Cannot be used with other promo codes. Cannot be applied to past purchases. Valid one time per customer. Other restrictions may apply.
Naturepedic Ultra Breathable Organic Crib Mattress (Price: $459-499) (Take 20% off your Naturepedic total purchase with code MAMAVATION20.) While supplies last. Cannot be used with other promo codes. Cannot be applied to past purchases. Valid one time per customer. Other restrictions may apply.
My Green Mattress Emily Crib Mattress (Price: $359) (GOTS certification under Quality Sleep Shoppe, a company that produces mattresses with polyurethane foam.) (Take 10% off products by using “MAMAVATION” at checkout)

Better Children’s Mattresses

These brands are not GOTS organic, but do not use Tris fire retardants or phthalates.

Lullaby Earth Baby Breathe Safe Breathable Crib Mattress (Price: $299) (Use discount code “MAMAVATION” for 15% off at checkout)
Lullaby Earth Baby Gentle Start Waterproof Crib Mattress (Price: $199) (Use discount code “MAMAVATION” for 15% off at checkout.)

Recommendations for Adult Mattresses

Happsy— (Use discount code “MAMAVATION10” for 10% off your total purchase. While supplies last. Cannot be used with other promo codes. Cannot be applied to past purchases. Valid one time per customer. Other restrictions may apply.)
Lifekind
Naturepedic— (Use discount code “MAMAVATION20” for 20% off your total purchase. While supplies last. Cannot be used with other promo codes. Cannot be applied to past purchases. Valid one time per customer. Other restrictions may apply.)
Obasan— (Use discount code “MAMAVATIONBED” for two free complimentary pillows of your choice when you purchase an adult mattress. Make sure they are in your cart. )
Organic Mattress Incorporated (OMI)
Savvy Rest

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Non-Toxic Activewear Guide: Indications of PFAS “Forever Chemicals” in Workout Leggings & Yoga Pants

Leah Segedie — Tue, 22 Sep 2026 17:05:09 +0000

Are you looking for non-toxic activewear like workout leggings & yoga pants? Whether you wear your activewear for leisure or for activity at the gym, we aren’t judging. But what we ARE judging is the 42 workout legging and yoga pant brands that we sent to an EPA-certified laboratory to test for indications of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), a toxic class of chemicals linked to a number of serious health conditions.

Mamavation ranked 42 pairs of activewear including workout leggings and yoga pants based on indications of PFAS “forever chemicals” and we are naming names in this report including what we discovered from brands like more casual LulaRoe, Athleta, & Lululemon. You’ve trusted Mamavation to bring you topics like best green beauty makeup brands sans PFAS, best cookware sans PFAS, and best organic mattresses sans PFAS, now join us for our consumer study on women’s activewear including workout leggings and yoga pants. Continue reading below to the very end for the raw data from all the brands we tested.

Disclosure: This content of this post was reviewed by Pete Myers, Chief Scientist at Environmental Health Sciences, Adjunct Professor of Chemistry at Carnegie Mellon University, and Co-Author of Our Stolen Future & Scott Belcher, Research Scientist with the Center for Environmental & Health Effects of PFAS at North Carolina State University. The content was also 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!

Toxic PFAS “Forever Chemicals” Inside Activewear Apparel

The athletic apparel industry has been relying on PFAS and other types of toxic chemicals for decades to bring sweat-wicking, stain resistance, water resistance, quick-drying fabric, and other types of nonstick qualities to textiles used for high-performance clothing. Whether you purchase high-rise leggings made of polyester, nylon, and spandex or high-waist yoga pants made from cotton or water bottles, workout clothes have changed over the years. Today, your workout clothes made from your favorite activewear brand can be treated with a concoction of undisclosed chemicals we know very little about, from sizes XXS to XXL and beyond.

Your lightweight pair of leggings with a snug waistband & tight seams around your thighs help you get the best workout in cold weather, hiking in the mountains, wearing bike shorts on your favorite route, spinning in spin class, stretching in yoga class, working hard with your personal trainer, or playing tennis. But even if you are just lounging at home, what you surround your skin with still matters. The problem is, we don’t know how harmful dermal exposure to PFAS is.

“While we know that PFAS can be absorbed through the skin we don’t have much information about how much would be transferred from activewear products. It’s unlikely to be 0, ” says Pete Myers, Chief Scientist at Environmental Health Sciences, Adjunct Professor of Chemistry at Carnegie Mellon University, and Co-Author of Our Stolen Future.

The other problem in activewear apparel is that we have no idea what activewear brands are exposing us to PFAS “forever chemicals” so this is the challenge Mamavation has decided to take on.

We may not be able to tell you HOW bad this exposure is, but at least we can help you get a better idea of where it’s coming from.

Main Findings of Mamavation’s Consumer Study On Activewear & PFAS “Forever Chemicals”

Mamavation sent 42 pairs of activewear, mostly workout leggings and yoga pants, to an EPA-certified lab to test for organic fluorine, which is an indicator of PFAS. Products were photographed and not taken out of their original packaging and then were sent to a third-party EPA-certified laboratory. Each pair of activewear was tested for organic fluorine in the crotch area. The laboratory results are summarized below:

The crotch area is the most common area to find detectable organic fluorine, which is a marker for PFAS, including inside the crotch of LulaRoe leggings, which we found at 284 parts per million (ppm)!
25% of the workout leggings, yoga pants, & leisure leggings we sent to the lab came back with detectable levels of organic fluorine, and here’s the good news — 75% of the pairs we tested did not contain any detectable levels.
Detectable levels we found ranged from 10 parts per million (ppm) all the way to 284 parts per million (ppm) organic fluorine.
Because most brands are able to produce leggings without the use of PFAS, this tells us it’s not essential as a chemical treatment in women’s leggings and should be immediately phased out.
Update: 10 additional pairs of leggings were added between 2023 and 2026, and the values above do not reflect them.

To see the final results of each brand, scroll down to the very bottom where we share the lab results of each brand tested.

PFAS “Forever Chemicals” Are Linked to Terrible Health Outcomes

PFAS chemicals are linked to several health problems ranging in seriousness. Here is the list of health problems (PFAS) perfluorinated chemicals are linked to from over decades of research:

reduction in immunity
metabolic diseases like obesity & diabetes
reduced vaccination response
cardiovascular disease
affect the growth, learning, and behavior of infants and older children
increased risk of allergies & asthma in young children
lower a woman’s chance of getting pregnant
increase the chances of miscarriage
increase cholesterol levels
low sperm count
smaller penis size
increase the risk of kidney & testicular cancers

If you feel like you’ve been exposed to PFAS, the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, a division of Community Health Investigations, has created this fact sheet to use when talking to your doctor. While regulating authorities struggle to catch up, it would be wise to limit your daily exposure to PFAS within consumer products.

What to Look for When Purchasing Non-toxic Activewear and Want to Avoid PFAS “Forever Chemicals”

Now that we know 25% of the activewear Mamavation tested came back from the lab with indications of PFAS, what do we do when purchasing high-quality activewear & athleisure loungewear? Your activewear is your most important workout gear out of all your accessories. Here’s our best advice for purchasing the best workout leggings and yoga pants in the future.

Workout Leggings: Most of the workout leggings for high impact were made of synthetic materials like polyester, spandex, and nylon, which are based on petrochemicals. So you’ll have to pay close attention to the report findings here because not all pants made from synthetic materials had an indication of PFAS. However, if you are looking for low impact, sticking to natural materials like cotton greatly improves your chances of avoiding PFAS. The best workout leggings are going to offer you a sense of comfort and ease, versatility & durability when changing from one activity to another while using the least amount of toxic materials and treatments possible. Bonus points if you have some type of hidden pocket where you can stash your mobile phone.
Yoga Pants & Leisure Leggings: If you are looking for the best yoga pants or leisure leggings, there are more safe options. Whether it’s your best yoga leggings to do your hot yoga or a simple yoga session in your favorite studio or at home, your pair of yoga pants will be hugging your body. The best piece of advice is to scrutinize synthetic materials made from petrochemicals that are “buttery soft.” LulaRoe, which is a brand known for being “buttery soft” had results as high as 284 parts per million (ppm) in the crotch area. Best to stick with natural fabrics like cotton if you are purchasing for low impact.

Regulation & Movements to Protect Your Family from Exposure to PFAS Through Clothing

Are there any laws protecting your family from PFAS in clothing? Not really. Many toxic chemicals can find their way into your clothing without a label. Here is some of the good news and bad news about the movement to ban PFAS in apparel:

Globalization Safety Nightmares: Even though some chemicals, like formaldehyde which is linked to cancer, are regulated, most brands are manufacturing clothing overseas where those regulations are mostly non-existent or far behind the United States or European Union.
California’s Prop. 65 List Doesn’t Cover Clothing Treatments: Some states like California go further in restricting chemical usage through Prop. 65, but in that case, they only need to notify you the chemical is there. However, most PFAS chemicals used on clothing are not part of the restricted list yet. Older legacy chemicals like PFOA & PFOS are on the Prop. 65 list. Therefore, other states may need to take the lead here.
Priorities on PFAS are Elsewhere: Other state governments are taking legislative and regulatory actions to phase out PFAS, but most of the focus right now is on drinking water, groundwater cleanup in areas by military bases, food packaging, cookware, carpets & rugs, upholstery, and personal care products like makeup. States like California and New York are looking into regulating textiles, but no legislation has been passed yet. Maine signed a law banning all PFAS compounds, but the law doesn’t go into effect until 2030, so it’s not impacting the textile industry yet.
NGO Movements: There is some movement with organizations like Toxic-Free Future and its Mind the Store Campaign who are pressuring outdoor apparel companies like REI to stop using PFAS in their clothing and gear. (Click here to sign the petition). The Mind the Store Campaign works with major retailers to reduce and eliminate dangerous chemicals while also producing an annual retail report card to help us understand which retailers are working to protect our families. One retailer that has improved a great deal over the years is Target and it’s evident by their non-detect laboratory results in this report.

Sources of PFAS Contamination in Activewear From Experts

There are several ways that PFAS can get into your workout leggings and yoga pants. Here are some potential issues we found from interviews with experts that may cover what we are seeing in the laboratory results.

Treatments for Stain or Water Resistance

The first way that PFAS can find its way onto your activewear is on purpose as treatments by the manufacturer. These treatments are very rarely disclosed on the label, but they serve the following functions:

stain resistance
water resistance
moisture-wicking
sweat-wicking

Activewear that was tested by our laboratory found detectable levels of organic fluorine mostly around or inside the crotch area making it look like an intentional treatment of some kind on the fabric. This was something we also ran across when we tested the most popular period underwear products for indications of PFAS as well.

Sprays & Lubrication on Equipment

Sometimes manufacturing equipment requires the use of lubrication to keep it running smoothly. Trace amounts of those lubrications can come off the machine and onto the fabric. In addition, sometimes equipment is sprayed with chemicals to keep things from sticking to machinery. This is also another way that trace amounts of PFAS can get on a piece of clothing. It’s also possible that manufacturing equipment could be covered in a PFAS “non-stick” chemical OR utilize fiberglass that has been treated with a PFAS chemical.

Clean-Out Chemicals

The manufacturing equipment and storage equipment must be cleaned out in between uses to prevent the spread of bacteria and cross-contamination. Some cleaners used by manufacturing plants are made with fluorinated ingredients and their trace amounts can get into your product if they are not rinsed off properly.

Mamavation’s Consumer Study on Women’s Activewear & Indications of PFAS Details

Mamavation will first explain how we structured our study then will present the findings. Each pair of activewear was tested for organic fluorine, which is an indicator of PFAS, in the crotch area. Organic fluorine testing is a useful test when looking for PFAS. There is no standardized testing for PFAS in textiles, so there are many ways to do it. Looking for the presence of organic fluorine is more useful in identifying if any PFAS compound is present. When using testing to identify and isolate PFAS compounds, the testing is more restricted. Only 150 of these PFAS compounds can be identified in an University lab leaving over 9,000 unidentifiable. Therefore, looking for organic fluorine allows us to look at the bigger picture and will inform our audience better.

To determine what activewear to test, we used information gathered from the Mamavation community when we asked what brands they were wearing. The products were purchased from Amazon.com, Target, Nordstrom, or directly from their own websites between June and December 2021. They were sent to a third-party laboratory unopened in their original packaging after pictures were taken.

Each pair of activewear was tested at least once for total fluorine. If fluorine was detected, we ran an additional test that determines organic fluorine. The lab method commissioned by Mamavation was ion-selective electrode & oxygen flask combustion. The limit of detection level was 10 parts per million (ppm). In other words, some Activewear products that tested 0 may have had levels beneath 10 parts per million. Our tests weren’t sensitive enough to detect lower than 10 ppm.

[Update: Additional products have been added to this consumer study since the original publish date.]

Other Mamavation PFAS Testing Projects

Mamavation has been working hard to discover where to find PFAS “forever chemicals” inside the food & products we purchase and bring inside our homes. This is why we have decided to commission our own consumer studies on indications of PFAS in different consumer categories and share that information with you.

If you are here to find out what workout leggings are free from detectable PFAS, you may also be interested in our other similar studies.

Beauty & Personal Care Products

Food & Beverages PFAS Testing

Supplements PFAS Testing

Menstrual Products Testing

Clothing PFAS Testing

Food Packaging & Parchment Paper PFAS Testing

Baby & Children PFAS Testing

We also have other investigations you may like.

To help our community make safer choices, Mamavation sent a wide range of popular activewear brands—specifically workout leggings and yoga pants—to our EPA-certified laboratory for fluorine testing, an indicator of PFAS “forever chemicals.” Updated and historical test results were also included to give consumers a clearer understanding of PFAS contamination trends across the activewear category. All products were evaluated using a 10 parts per million (ppm) detection limit.

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

Activewear Brands Tested by Mamavation

90 Degree by Reflex
All In Motion (Target)
Alo
Athleta
BLANQI
Boody
BRANWYN
CALIA by Carrie Underwood
Definite Articles
Fabletics
Gaiam
GapFit
Girlfriend Collective
Groceries Apparel
Knix
LIVI (Lane Bryant)
L.L.Bean
Lorna Jane
Lululemon
LulaRoe
Maggie’s Organics
Marika
MATE The Label
Mizuno
Nike
NOBULL
Old Navy
OYA Femtech Apparel
Pact Organic
prAna
PuraKai
Reebok
Revive
SPANX
Sweaty Betty
Under Armour
Vuori
Yogalicious
YPB (Abercrombie & Fitch)
Zella
Zyia Active

Want full access to the raw fluorine results, contamination insights, and our recommendations for the safest activewear brands? Join our free membership platform to access the complete buying guide with detailed lab findings for every brand.

The post Non-Toxic Activewear Guide: Indications of PFAS “Forever Chemicals” in Workout Leggings & Yoga Pants appeared first on MAMAVATION.

Indications of Toxic PFAS “Forever Chemicals” Found in Toilet Paper — Report

Leah Segedie — Mon, 14 Sep 2026 15:29:43 +0000

Does your toilet paper contain indications of toxic PFAS “forever chemicals?” Mamavation was asked that question by our audience and the only way to find out was to send the most popular toilet paper products to the lab. So that is what we did in our latest consumer study on PFAS. You’ve trusted Mamavation to bring you topics like best green beauty makeup sans PFAS, best & worst cookware sans PFAS, & best water filters to capture PFAS, now join us for a consumer study on indications of PFAS and toilet paper. Scroll down to the bottom of this post to see the raw data from our EPA-certified laboratory.

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 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, (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.

Mamavation Finds Indications of PFAS in Toilet Paper

PFAS “forever chemicals” are per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances used as stain-resistant, water-resistant, & oil-resistant chemicals in commerce. They have been used for decades inside consumer products, manufacturing, and building materials. There are over 15,000 different chemicals in the PFAS chemical class (including PFOA & PTFE), and because there are so many of them, they are incredibly hard to identify and test for. In fact, it’s only really possible to identify about 100 or so in a really good commercial laboratory.

The biggest problem with PFAS is their staying power–they do not leave the environment or our bodies for many many years, which is the reason they are dubbed “forever chemicals.”

Mamavation sent 17 toilet paper products (with many additional products added later) to an EPA-certified laboratory to test for organic fluorine, which is a marker for PFAS “forever chemical” compounds. We included as many types of toilet paper we could such as bamboo, sugarcane, recycled, and conventional wood pulp. We purchased the products between October 2021 and June 2022 from Amazon.com, using Instacart, or in-store from retailers in Los Angeles. (Updated purchases up to 9/2026)

Here are the main findings from Mamavation’s Toilet Paper PFAS Consumer Study:

24% of toilet paper tested at Mamavation’s EPA-certified lab had indications of PFAS “forever chemicals”, while 76% of toilet paper tested did not. In other words, 4 out of 17 products contained indications of PFAS “forever chemicals.”
According to our lab, levels of organic fluorine, a marker for PFAS, were found between 10 parts per million (ppm) to 35 parts per million (ppm).
50% of the products with detectable levels of organic fluorine were bamboo products. In other words, 2 out of 4 detectable products were made from bamboo, one was made from conventional wood pulp, and one was made from recycled paper.

When PFAS is detected in personal care products, such as toilet paper, in the amounts we are seeing they are unlikely added on purpose but are more likely present due to manufacturing or packaging contamination of some kind in the supply chain.

[updated to add on 10/22: We tested additional brands based on public demand. 6 additional toilet paper products tested bringing the total to 23. 22% of all toilet paper sent to the lab came back with indications of PFAS. Overall, 3/5 brands with detections were made of bamboo. Updated also on 4/2025 with an additional 2 brands. Updated 3/26 with another 6 brands.]

Potential Health Impacts of Exposure to PFAS “Forever Chemicals” in Toilet Paper

PFAS “forever chemicals” are problematic to human health and the environment. They are considered ubiquitous, persistent, and toxic. Many can last for years in our bodies. Therefore, it’s imperative to reduce the amount of PFAS you are exposed to from food and water and personal care products such as toilet paper. No one knows the direct impact of using toilet paper with indications of PFAS, but that doesn’t mean there is no danger.

However, we do know what the health impacts are when exposure to PFAS through water and food and they are listed below:

Special Consideration: Toilet Paper Touches Our Most Intimate Parts

Thousands of chemicals are used to process commercial paper products like baby wipes, toilet paper, and paper towels. But most importantly, what we put next to our body, especially touching our vascular private parts, has the potential to have an impact on our health.

There isn’t a lot known about dermal exposure of PFAS “forever chemicals” to our intimate parts, but that doesn’t mean that there is no danger; it really just means we don’t know the extent of the danger. But we do have some clues from studies that were done on dermal exposure and that potential problem:

One study found that dermal exposure to PFBA demonstrated effects on the liver and showed similar results to oral PFBA and PFOA exposure.
One study looking at PFAS in infant car seats found that PFAS can migrate from fabric to sweat, suggesting a potential risk of dermal exposure.
Another study found that dermal exposure is similar to oral exposure to PFOA and can be immunotoxic.

Linda S. Birnbaum, Scientist Emeritus and Former Director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and National Toxicology Program says “PFAS cause effects in males and females of animals and people in nearly every organ and at every life stage. Because toilet paper is created to rub up against such vascular parts of the body, it’s logical to be concerned with this exposure.”

Bleaching — More Potential Health & Environmental Risks

Toilet paper has also been suspected of chronic irritation of the vulva because of bleach. Dyes made from petroleum can also be used to change the color of the toilet paper. In a 2010 study, they found that toilet paper may be to blame for chronic irritation of the vulva because a carcinogen, formaldehyde, was found present to improve the strength of the toilet paper. That’s concerning for any toilet paper using that type of bleaching method.

The American Forest & Paper Association (AFPA) recognizes these ways of bleaching and as you can see there are benefits and drawbacks to most methods:

Elemental Chlorine Bleaching: Elemental chlorine is used to bleach and soften toilet paper. This process can pollute the environment. Most products manufactured in North America do not use this process anymore, however paper products manufactured overseas are more likely to use this method.
Elemental Chlorine Free (ECF): While they don’t use the harsh element chlorine, they do use a chlorine derivative like chlorine dioxide. This process is far less toxic than using elemental bleach to process.
Process Chlorine Free (PCF): This process is typically used by recycled paper products that have not been re-bleached with chlorine-based compounds. Because it’s recycled with the PCF method, it’s impossible to know whether the virgin papers were bleached with elemental chlorine or chlorine dioxide.
Totally Chlorine Free (TCF): No chlorine or chlorine compounds were used to bleach the pulp. Instead, they use oxygen-based agents or hydrogen peroxide. Unfortunately, TCF is primarily done in China, which is unregulated and sometimes uses poor and unsafe standards.
Unbleached: Means it’s untreated and typically very rough to the touch.

Additional Toxic Additives That Don’t Belong In Toilet Paper

Toilet paper with scents or lotions and flushable wipes likely contain problematic ingredients that enter as ingredients or as part of the manufacturing process. We are unsure at this point if the use of PFAS is part of how these additional ingredients are used or manufactured themselves. But it’s clear that these types of products are not considered eco-friendly toilet papers or sustainable toilet papers.

Polyethylene Glycol (PEGs): This was a problem with flushable wipes. Many of them contained a variety of PEG compounds. Ethoxylated ingredients (like PEGs) on their own are of lower concern to humans, however, the process of ethoxylation can leave behind trace amounts of carcinogens: ethylene oxide and 1,4-dioxane.
Undisclosed fragrances: Because there’s no way to know what components are in the fragrance, we have no way to know if the ingredients are harmful or can cause an allergic reaction. Synthetic musks and phthalates typically hide in hidden “fragrance” that is undisclosed. Phthalates are potent endocrine-disrupting chemicals linked to obesity, hyperactivity in children, and degraded sperm quality, among many other health problems.
Paraffin wax: This is made from petroleum by-products.

Therefore, selecting toilet paper that does the least amount of harm to both our bodies and the environment is wise.

Bisphenol A (BPA) or Bisphenol S (BPS) Can Contaminate Recycled Toilet Paper

While recycled paper is, of course, the best option for the planet, there is one dirty little secret it is hiding–bisphenols like BPA and BPS. Bisphenols like BPA have been discovered as a hideaway inside recycled toilet paper according to a study published in the journal Environmental Science and Technology. Researchers found BPA levels in paper that were 100 to 1 million times higher than amounts detected in canned and packaged foods.

This is because thermal receipt paper and shipping labels, contaminated with bisphenols BPA & BPS, end up finding their way into recycled paper products like toilet paper. Bisphenols like BPA are endocrine disruptors and studies have linked them to reproductive problems, early puberty, low sperm count, obesity, and breast cancer.

(Luckily, thanks to Mamavation you no longer need to worry about bisphenols like BPA or BPS on the receipt paper at Target. A few years back, we petitioned Target to make their receipts safer and after gathering over 50,000 petition signatures and meeting with Target, they did so in 2020. Trader Joe’s, Best Buy, CVS, and other brands have followed suit, however not all brands have fixed their receipts so it’s still a big problem.)

Estimation of How Much Potential PFAS Exposure is Possible Through Toilet Paper

Every year the average American consumer uses 12.7 kg of toilet paper, according to statistics from 2018, and that toilet paper ends up in sewage every year. If all toilet paper had 10 ppm, the average person flushed in 2018 in the US 12.7 kg = 12,700 g = 12,700,000 mg. (12,700,000 mg paper 0.000001 mg PFAS/mg paper)/person = 12.7 mg PFAS/person)

The population in the US in December 2018 was 328,082,386 persons. Therefore, 2018 National Releases = 12.7 mg PFAS/person x 328,082,386 persons = 4166646302.2 mg = 4166 kg = 4.165 tonnes of PFAS released to environment.

So not knowing how much PFAS-contaminated toilet paper was used (only know 4 brands had between 10-35 ppm), let’s use the lower limit and examine what the amount would be if 10% of the tissue used in 2018 was PFAS contaminated at 10 ppm and all toilet paper went to sewage. Therefore, about 0.4165 tonnes would be released to the environment through sewage sludge and municipal wastewater.

One of our main advisors has some context for you to share:

“The movie Dark Waters documented hideous injustice around the PFAS compound, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). In bringing this injustice to light, Robert Bilott, the lawyer who did battle with DuPont over the PFOA poisoning of the Parkersburg citizenry, has become a magnificent American hero. His work led to the biggest epidemiological study of all time which found that PFOA is capable of immense health impacts at tiny doses.

Other PFAS compounds are known to share PFOA’s injurious properties. And because PFAS compounds tend to be impossible for nature to degrade on any meaningful time scale, the American people cannot seem to escape the impacts. It has become unacceptable that measurable amounts of PFAS should be found in everyday consumer products such as toilet paper” says Terrence Collins, Teresa Heinz Professor of Green Chemistry & Director of Institute for Green Sciences at Carnegie Mellon University.

Sustainable Issue–TP Production Disrupts Largest Carbon Sink in World

There are some additional considerations when selecting your toilet paper that have to do with the health of our Planet–most American toilet paper comes from the Canadian Boreal Forest, the largest carbon sink in the world.

Americans use close to 8 million tons of toilet paper per year according to Consumer Reports. Paper production like toilet paper, paper towels, baby wipes, tissue paper, coffee filters, & writing paper are incredibly toxic to the environment, leave a huge carbon footprint, and deplete forests all over the world. In fact, the paper production industry, according to the National Resource Defense Council, is the 3rd largest polluter.

One of the most important regions in the world for capturing carbon is the Boreal Forest in Canada in North America. Your toilet paper and toilet roll likely started there as a tree in the largest carbon sink in the world. Cutting down on toilet paper made from wood pulp and looking for alternatives like bamboo & sugarcane helps this effort. Watch how your choice of toilet paper helps fight climate change.

According to a report by the National Resources Defense Fund, “industrial logging claims more than a million acres of boreal forest every year, equivalent to seven National Hockey League rinks each minute, in part to meet demand for tissue products in the United States.” Long story short, if you want to become part of this solution, looking for alternatives would be the way to go. They are only logging the Boreal forest because we demand toilet paper made from wood pulp. Start demanding toilet paper made from bamboo & sugarcane instead.

Alternatives to Toilet Paper for Your Home — The Bidet

If you’ve ever traveled in Europe, the Middle East, or Asia, you may have come across a bidet. The bidet uses water to perform a similar function to toilet paper, but cleaner. Some bidets are stand-alone washbasins that are located close to the toilet, while other bidets can be hooked up to a regular toilet. No need for a pack of toilet paper or to buy any toilet paper in bulk when you have these systems.

Here are some bidets to check out to cut down on toilet paper use:

Product Brands We Tested

To help our community make safer choices, Mamavation sent 17 different toilet paper products to our EPA-certified laboratory to screen for total fluorine, a marker for PFAS “forever chemicals.” Products included conventional toilet paper, FSC-certified options, bamboo paper, and bamboo/sugarcane blends.

Below is the complete list of toilet paper products included in our investigation.

Toilet Paper Brands Tested by Mamavation

Amazon Aware 100% Bamboo Toilet Paper
Angel Soft 230+ Sheets Double Roll Toilet Paper
Azure Market Ultra Soft & Strong Bath Tissue Bamboo
Betterway Soft on the Planet 100% Bamboo Toilet Paper
Bim Bam Boo Tree-Saving Toilet Paper
Bumboo Bamboo Toilet Paper
Caboo Tree-Free Bamboo Bath Tissue
Charmin Ultra Soft Toilet Paper
Cheeky Panda Eco-Friendly Natural Bamboo Toilet Paper
Cottonelle Mega Ultra Comfort Care
DeBella Bamboo Septic Safe Bath Tissue
ecoHiny Tree Free Toilet Paper 100% Natural & Sustainable Bamboo
ECOS Treeless Bamboo & Sugarcane Bathroom Tissue
Green Forest 100% Recycled Bathroom Tissue
Grove Co. Tree-Free Toilet Paper
Honeycomb Soft & Sustainable Toilet Paper
Kirkland (Costco) Bath Tissue
Member’s Mark (Sam’s Club) Ultra Premium Bath Tissue
MOTHER EARTH Tree Free Toilet Paper Made from 100% Bamboo
Natural Value 100% Recycled Bathroom Tissue
NatureZway Bamboo Bath Tissue
Open Nature 100% Recycled Paper Bathroom Tissue
PlantPaper Bamboo Bathroom Toilet Paper
Presto (Amazon) Ultra-Soft Septic Safe Toilet Paper
Public Goods Toilet Paper (Bamboo & Cane Sugar)
Purafide 100% Tree Free Bamboo Toilet Paper
Quilted Northern Ultra Plush Soft & Strong Premium Comfort Toilet Paper
Reel Bamboo Toilet Paper
Repurpose Ultra Soft Bamboo Toilet Paper
Rosey by Thrive Market 100% Recycled Bath Tissue
Save Trees Bamboo Toilet Paper
Scott 1000 Sheets Per Roll Toilet Paper
Seventh Generation 100% Recycled Bath Tissue
Signature Select (Albertsons) Mega Ultra Premium Bath Tissue
Sprouts 100% Recycled Toilet Paper
Trader Joe’s Super Soft Bath Tissue The Big Roll
Tree Free Green² Ultra Soft Bath Tissue Made from Sugarcane & Bamboo
Tushy Bamboo Toilet Paper
up&up (Target) Soft & Strong Bath Tissue
Value Corner (Safeway) Bathroom Tissue
Who Gives a Crap Bamboo Toilet Paper
Willow (Aldi) Ultra Strong Premium Bath Tissue

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The post Indications of Toxic PFAS “Forever Chemicals” Found in Toilet Paper — Report appeared first on MAMAVATION.

Clearly Filtered Water Filter Microplastic Testing Results

Leah Segedie — Tue, 08 Sep 2026 18:18:49 +0000

Does the Clearly Filtered water filter remove microplastics? Mamavation already cleared this filter for superior PFAS “forever chemical” removal, but what about microplastics? To answer this question, we partnered with The Water Map to test our kitchen sink and refrigerator water after installing the Clearly Filtered water filters. You’ve trusted Mamavation for investigations like (1) safest cooking oils with the least amount of toxic phthalates, (2) best grass-fed meat delivery box companies, (3) safest rice brands tested for heavy metals like arsenic, and (4) safest Vitamin D supplements tested for pesticides, PFAS “forever chemicals,” heavy metals, & phthalates; now join us as we bring you the results of Clearly Filtered filters.

Disclosure: This investigation includes affiliate links to Clearly Filtered and The Water Test. You do not pay anymore than normal when you shop our affilaite links, but it helps us fund our research and 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

Testing Shows Clearly Filtered Water Filters Lower Microplastics

Mamavation Partnered with The Water Map to test two Clearly Filtered water filters for the presence of microplastics: (1) the 3-Stage Under the Sink Water Filter System and (2) the Universal Inline Fridge Filter.

The Water Map conducted the testing inside their laboratory and included an additional hydrogen peroxide digestion step to ensure accuracy. In other words, it was done in a laboratory setting and was a bit different from the in-home test available on their website, The Water Test. The results were very promising for Clearly Filtered, especially their under-the-sink model.

Unfiltered Kitchen Sink Faucet Testing — 14 microplastic pieces (microplastics before filter was installed)
Clearly Filtered 3-Stage Under the Sink Water Filter System Testing — 1 microplastic piece (after filter was added under sink) (Use discount code “MAMAVATION20” for 20% off filters for a limited time!)
Clearly Filtered Universal Inline Fridge Filter Testing — 3 microplastic pieces (after filter was added to refrigerator)(Use discount code “MAMAVATION20” for 20% off filters for a limited time!)

As you can see, when we installed the Clearly Filtered 3-Stage Under the Sink model, microplastics dropped from 14 particles to 1 particle. That was quite an impressive jump and was one of the lowest numbers reported to The Water Map for inclusion in their database. Their refrigerator filter had 3 microplastic particles reported, which is still good but not as good as their under-the-sink model. But again, I encourage you to see how common microplastics are in water and how low a score like 3 is nationwide on The Water Map. Combine that with Clearly Filtered’s ability to handle PFAS “forever chemicals” through independent testing, and we think these products are stellar for your kitchen to help you avoid PFAS & microplastics in your water.

We reached out to Clearly Filtered after our testing and asked for a special discount for our readers. For a limited time, Clearly Filtered is offering 20% off filters with discount code “MAMAVATION20.”

Health Issues Linked with Microplastic & Nanoplastic Exposure

Microplastics and nanoplastics are tiny fragments of plastic that turn up in air, water, food, and the human body. People take them in mainly by eating, drinking, and breathing. The smallest particles can cross biological barriers and circulate within the human body. The most common polymers include polyethylene, PET, PVC, and polystyrene.

Microplastics have been linked to human health impacts:

Microplastics and nanoplastics have also been found in the human body (blood, brain, liver & kidneys, lungs, placenta, testis & semen, heart & breast milk). Researchers are encouraging consumers to lower their exposure to microplastics and nanoplastics by cutting down on plastic in general around food & water.

Would You Like To Do Your Own Water Microplastic Testing?

The Water Map, an organization that tracks water quality throughout the United States, has partnered with Mamavation to bring you a special deal on in-home microplastics tests. The Water Map has recently developed The Water Test, the world’s first in-home microplastics kit. If you would like to test your tap water, your filter, bottled water, or even your tea, pick up a testing kit.

How Does The Water Test Work?

The Water Test makes it easier to lower your microplastic exposure by testing at home. It’s three easy steps.

Step One — Collect a water sample. You draw water into the syringe nad pass it through the filter membrane.
Step Two — Stain the membrane. Apply the fluorescent stain included with each test.
Step Three — See suspected microplastics. Inspect the membrane under the included digital microscope and blue light and count up how many microplastic particles you see.

Special Deal for Mamavation Readers

Mamavation readers get The Water Test Kit plus 5 complete tests for $100. That’s $35 off the normal $135 price.

You’ll get the following in your kit:

Tabletop digital microscope
Reusable syringe and membrane holder
Viewing lense
Blue flashlight
Bottle
Tweezers
5 staining vials
5 replacement membranes

Limitations of the Testing

The kit uses Nile Red fluorescence staining. Nile Red binds to hydrophobic (water-repelling) surfaces and fluoresces when it does. Common plastics — PE, PP, PS, PET, nylon — are hydrophobic, so they stain and glow. But the dye reports hydrophobicity, not polymer chemistry. The foundational paper for this method (Maes et al., 2017, Scientific Reports) describes it, in its own title, as a “rapid-screening approach.”

A glowing particle on your filter is a suspected microplastic: a hydrophobic particle in the microplastic size range that stained and glowed. In drinking water, that population is dominated by plastic. It is not chemically confirmed plastic. Confirmation requires micro-FTIR, Raman spectroscopy, or pyrolysis GC/MS — five-figure laboratory instruments.

Potential False Positives

Because Nile Red generally stains hydrophobicity, non-plastic hydrophobic material can fluoresce too. Documented offenders in the literature include lipids and fats, natural waxes, rubber fragments, some adhesives, and certain natural organic matter (biofilm, algal debris).

The standard laboratory control for this is a hydrogen peroxide digestion step, which oxidizes organic material into fragments that pass through the filter unstained. To test Clearly Filtered, our lab completed this step; however, the current kit does not include this step. Digestion-strength peroxide is regulated as a hazardous material for shipping, and they’ve chosen — for now — to ship a rapid, safe in-home screening test without it rather than ship hazmat to consumers. They are actively doing R&D on ways to lower the false-positive rate without a hazardous reagent.

The practical consequence: without a digestion step, organic-rich samples (tea, formula, pond water, water from old biofilm-lined plumbing) will read high, because non-plastic hydrophobic material that a digest would have removed stays on the filter and stains. Treat those counts as upper bounds, not measurements.

The post Clearly Filtered Water Filter Microplastic Testing Results appeared first on MAMAVATION.

Prenatal Vitamins Tested for Pesticides, Lead, Phthalates, & PFAS

Leah Segedie — Tue, 01 Sep 2026 15:12:47 +0000

Which prenatal vitamins contain the lowest levels of potentially harmful contaminants, including pesticides, heavy metals, PFAS “forever chemicals,” and phthalates? We asked our audience which prenatal supplements they were using, and then sent the top 9 products to different EPA-certified laboratories for contaminant testing. The results provide consumers with data-driven information to help evaluate and compare prenatal supplement brands based on contaminant levels. You’ve trusted Mamavation to bring you consumer studies like safest cooking oils tested for phthalates, safest water filters to filter PFAS, and safest women’s multivitamins; now join us for a consumer study testing prenatal vitamins for pesticides, PFAS “forever chemicals,” phthalates, & heavy metals.

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. Thank you! Copyright © 2026 Mamavation — All Rights Reserved

Mamavation’s EPA-Certified Laboratory Finds Heavy Metals, PFAS, Pesticides, & Phthalates in Popular Prenatal Vitamins

Mamavation sent nine popular prenatal supplements to two EPA-certified laboratories testing for PFAS analytes, including PFOA/PFOS, phthalates, heavy metals, glyphosate, and 500+ additional pesticides. The contamination results were surprising considering how expensive most of these products were. Here’s the outcome of contaminants that were found according to our labs:

100% of prenatal vitamins contained ortho-phthalates. That’s 9 out of 9 products. Total phthalates ranged from 10 to 2,167 ppb.
No prenatal vitamins had heavy metal levels (lead, arsenic, cadmium & mercury) that would require a Prop. 65 warning in California. 9 out of 9 products had lower levels of heavy metals.
None of the prenatal vitamins we tested had detectable levels of glyphosate at the lowest standardized level. That’s 9 out of 9 products.
None of the prenatal vitamins contained other detectable pesticides. That’s 9 out of 9 products.
11% of prenatal vitamins contained specific PFAS chemicals. That’s 1 out of 9 products.

Contaminants Included in Mamavation’s EPA Certified Laboratory Testing

Mamavation sent nine prenatal vitamins to two different EPA-certified laboratories looking for specific problematic contaminants that would not be listed on an ingredient panel. These ingredients are never found on an ingredient label because they are not considered “intentionally added” and would instead be considered more of a contaminant from manufacturing, transportation, storage, and/or agricultural practices. However, just because these contaminants are not “intentionally added” doesn’t mean they won’t impact your health over time and usage. With regular, long-term use, even low-level contaminants can matter for health. That’s why independent testing and transparent sourcing practices are important for both consumers and the companies they trust.

Our labs tested for the following contaminants and found some of them present in the prenatals we tested to varying degrees:

40 specific PFAS “forever” chemicals
Glyphosate
500+ additional Pesticides
Phthalates
Lead — heavy metal
Arsenic — metaloid
Cadmium — heavy metal
Mercury — heavy metal

PFAS “Forever Chemical” Analytes Tested, Including PFOA & PFOS

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

For this investigation, we elected to test for forty specific PFAS analytes listed below using EPA method 1633:

Perfluorobutanoic 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 (PFTriA)
Perfluorotetradecanoic acid (PFTeA)
Perfluorobutanesulfonic acid (PFBS)
Perfluoropentanesulfonic acid (PFPeS)
Perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS)
Perfluoroheptanesulfonic Acid (PFHpS)
Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS)
Perfluorononanesulfonic acid (PFNS)
Perfluorodecanesulfonic acid (PFDS)
Perfluorododecanesulfonic acid (PFDoS)
Perfluorooctanesulfonamide (FOSA)
NMeFOSAA
NEtFOSAA
4:2 FTS
6:2 FTS
8:2 FTS
NEtFOSA
NMeFOSA
NMeFOSE
NEtFOSE
9Cl-PF3ONS
HFPO-DA (GenX)
11Cl-PF3OUdS
ADONA
3:3 FTCA
5:3 FTCA
7:3 FTCA
NFDHA
PFMBA
PFMPA
PFEESA

Glyphosate — Testing Details

Glyphosate [N-(phosphonomethyl) glycine] is the active ingredient in glyphosate-based herbicides (GBH) and is 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 such as soy, corn, and cotton without killing them. Beyond agriculture, glyphosate is extensively used in landscaping, roadside maintenance, golf courses, and vegetation control in fire-prone areas.

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 supplement 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.

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

500+ Additional Pesticide Laboratory Tests for Prenatal Vitamins — Testing Details

Nine prenatal vitamins were sent to our EPA-certified lab and analyzed using two different methods, which totaled testing for 587 pesticides down to the lowest standardized level, which was mostly 10 ppb. However, there are a few chemicals where the detection limit was between 18 and 25 ppb. The first method looked at the following pesticides:

2,4,6-Trichloroanisole
2,4,6-Trichlorophenol
2-phenylphenol (SP)
8-hydroxyquinoline (SP)
Acetochlor
Acrinathrin
Alachlor
Aldrin
Alpha Endosulfan
Alpha-HCH
Ametryn
Anthraquinone
Atrazine
Beflubutamid
Benalaxyl
Benfluralin
Beta Endosulfan
Beta-HCH
Bifenazate-Bifenazate Diazene
Bifenox
Bifenthrin
Biphenyl
Bitertanol
Bromophos-ethyl
Bromophos-methyl
Bromopropylate
Bupirimate
Captan
Captan (Sum)
Carbophenothion
Chinomethionat
Chlordane (Sum)
Chlorfenapyr
Chlorfenson
Chlorfenvinphos
Chlormephos
Chlorobenzilate+Chloro propylate
Chlorothalonil
Chlorotoluron
Chlorpropham
Chlorpyrifos
Chlorpyrifos-methyl
Chlorthal-dimethyl
Chlorthion
Cinidon-ethyl
Cis-Chlordane
Cyfluthrin
Cyproconazole
Cyprodinil
DDD-pp+DDT-0p
DDT (Sum)
DEET
delta-HCH
Deltamethrin
Desethyl atrazine
Diafenthiuron
Diazinon
Dichlobenil
Dichlofenthion
Diclobutrazol
Dicloran
Dicofol (Sum)
Dicofol 0,p
Dicofol p,p
Dicrotophos
Dieldrin
Dieldrin (Sum)
Dicofol o,p
Dicofol p,p
Dicrotophos
Dieldrin
Dieldrin (Sum)
Difenoconazole
Diflufenican
Dimefox
Dimoxystrobin
Diniconazole
Dinobuton
Diphenylamine
Disulfoton (SP)
Disulfoton (Sum)
Disulfoton Sulfone
Disulfoton Sulfoxide
Ditalimfos
Endosulfan (Sum)
Endosulfan-Sulphate
Endrin
EPN
Epsilon-HCH
EPTC
Ethalfuralin
Ethion
Ethofumesate (SP)
Ethoprophos
Etridiazole
Etrimfos
Fenarimol
Fenazaquin
Fenchlorphos (SP)
Fenchlorphos (Sum)
Fenchlorphos Oxon
Fenitrothion
Fenpropathrin
Fenson
Fenthion (SP)
Fenthion Oxon
Fenvalerate
Flucythrinate
Flumetralin
Fluopicolide
Fluopyram
Fluotrimazole
Flutamone
Fluvalinate
Folpet
Folpet (Sum)
Fonofos
Furalaxyl
Heptachlor (SP)
Heptachlor (Sum)
Heptachlor Epoxide A
Heptachlor Epoxide B
Heptenophos
Hexachlorobenzene
Hexaclorobutadiene
Hexacanazole
Iodofenphos
Iprobenfos
Iprodione
Iprovalicarb
Isazofos
Isofenphos
Isophenfos-methyl
Kresoxim-methyl
Lambda-Cyhalothrin
Lindane
Malaoxon
Malathion (SP)
Mefenpyr Diethyl
Mepronil
Metalaxyl-M (Mefenoxam)
Methacrifos
Methidathion
Methacrifos
Methidathion
Methoxychlor
Metribuzin
Mevinphos
Mirex
Molinate
Myclobutanil
Naled
Naled (Sum)
Napropamide
Nitrofen
Nitrothal Isopropyl
Nuarimol
o,p-DDD
o,p-DDE
Ofurace
Oxadixyl
Oxychlordan
Oxyfluorfen
p,p-DDT
p,p-DDE
Paraoxon Methyl
Paraoxon-ethyl
Parathion Methyl (SP)
Parathion Methyl (Sum)
Parathion-ethyl
Parathion-ethyl (Sum)
Penconazole
Pendimethalin
Pentachloroaniline
Pentachloroanisole
Pentachlorobenzene
Pentachlorobenzonitrile
Pentachlorophenol
Permethrin
Phenthoate
Phorate
Phosalone
Phthalimide
Piperonyl butoxide
Pirimiphos-ethyl
Pirimiphos-methyl
Procymidone
Profenofos
Profluralin
Prometryn
Propazine
Propetamphos
Propyzamide
Prothiofos
Pyrazophos
Pyridaben
Pyridaphenthion
Pyrifenox
Pyrimethanil
Pyriproxyfen
Quinalphos
Quintozene
Quintozene (Sum)
Silthiofam
Simazine
Tebuconazole
Tebufenpyrad
Tecnazene
Tefluthrin
Terbacil
Terbumeton
Terbuthylazine
Terbuthylazine Desethyl
Terbutryn
Tetrachlorvinphos
Tetracanazole
Tetradifon
Tetrahydrophthalimide (THPI)
Tetramethrin
Tetrasul
Thiometon
Tolclofos-methyl
Trans-Chlordane
Transfluthrin
Triadimefon
Triadimenol
Tri-allate
Triamiphos
Trifluralin
Uniconazole
Vinclozolin
Zeta-cypermethrin

The second group was analyzed using the LC-MS/MS technique for 360 pesticides and included the following:

3-OH carbofuran (SQ)
Abamectin
Acephate
Acequinocyl
Acetamiprid
Acibenzolar-S-methyl (SP)
Alcarb (SP)
Aldicarb (Sum)
Aldicarb Sulfone
Aldicarb Sulfoxide
Ametroctradin
Aminocarb
Amitraz (SP)
Atrizine Desisopropyl
Azaconazole
Azadirachtin
Azamethiphos
Azimsulfuron
Azinphos-ethyl
Azinphos-methyl
Azocyclotin and Cyhexatin (SQ)
Azoxystrobin
Ben-Carb-TPN (Sum)
Bendiocarb
Bentazone (SP)
Bentazones-methyl
Benthiavalicarb
Bioallethrin
Bixafen
Boscalid
Bromacil
Bromoxynil (SP)
Bromuconazole
BTS 44595
BTS 44596
Buprofezin
Butachlor
Butocarboxim
Butoxicarboxim Sulfoxide
Butralin
Buturon
Cadusafos
Carbaryl
Carbendazim and Benomyl
Carbetamide
Carboxin (SP)
Carfentazone-ethyl (SP)
Chloratraniliprole
chlorbromuron
Chlorfluazuron
Chloridazon
Chloroxuron
Chlorsulfuron
Chlorthiophos
Clethodim (SP)
Clethodim Sulfoxide
Clofentezine
Clomazone
Clopyralid
Clothianidine
Coumaphos
Crimidine
Cyanazine
Cyantraniliprole
Cyazofamid
Cyclanilide
Cycloate
Cycloxydim (SP)
Cyenopyrafen
Cyflufenamid
Cyflumetofen
Cyhalofop-butyl
Cymoxanil
Cyromazine
Demeton S
Demeton-S-methyl
Demeton-S-Methylsulfone
Demeton-S-sulfoxide
Desmedipham
Desmetryn
Dialifos
Dichiofluanid
Dichlormid
Dichloroprop
Dichlorvos
Diclofop (SP/SQ)
Diclofop (Sum)
Diclofo-methyl (SP/SQ)
Diethofencarb
Diflubenzuron
Dimefuron
Dimethachlor
Dimethenamid-P
Dimethoate
Dimethoate (Sum)
Dimethomorph
Dimethylaminosulfotoluidide (DMST)
Dinotefuran
Diuron
DNOC
Dodemorph
Dodine
Edifenphos
Emamectin B1a
Epoxiconazole
Ethaboxam
Ethiofencarb
Ethiofencarb sulfone
Ethiofencarb sulfoxide
Ethiprole
Ethirimol
Ethoxyquin (SQ)
Etofenprox
Etoxazole
Famoxadone
Fenamidone
Fenamiphos (SP)
Fenamiphos (Sum)
Fenamiphos Sulphone
Fenamiphos Sulphoxide
Febnuconazole
Fenbutatin oxide
Fenhexamid
Fenobucarb
Fenoxycarb
Fenpiclonil
Fenpropidin (SP)
Fenpropimorph
Fenpyrazamine
Fenpyroximate
Fensulfothion
Fensulfothion Oxon
Fensulfothion Oxon Sulfone
Fensulfothion Sulfone
Fenthion (Sum)
Fenthion Oxon Sulfone
Fenthion Oxon Sulfoxide
Fentin (SP/SQ)
Fenuron
Fipronil (SP)
Fipronil (Sum)
Fipronil Sulfide
Fipronil Sulfone
Flamprop
Flazasulfuron
Flonicamid (SP)
Flonicamid (Sum)
Florasulam
Fluazifop-methyl (SP)
Fluazifop-P (SP)
Fluazifop-P-butyl (SP)
Fluazinam
Flubendiamide
Fludioxonil
Flufenacet
Flufenacet (Sum)
Flufenacet ESA
Flufenacet OA
Flufenoxuron
Flumioxazin
Fluometuron
Fluoxastrobin
Flupyradifurone
Fluquinconazole
Fluoxypyr (SP)
Fluroxypyr-meptyl
Fluroxypyr-meptyl
Flusilazole
Flutolanil
Flutriafol
Fluxapyroxad
Foramsulfuron
Forchlorfenuron
Formetanate (SP)
Formothion
Fosthiazate
Fuberidazole
Halosulfuron methyl
Haloxyfop (Sum)
Haloxyfop-2-ethoxyethyl
Haloxyfop-methyl (SP)
Haloxyfop-R (SP)
Hexaflumuron
Hexazinone
Hexythiazox
Imazalil
Imazapic
Imazappic
Imazapyr
Imidacloprid
Indaziflam
Indoxacarb
Iodosulfuron-methyl (SP)
Ioxynil (SP)
Isocarbophos
Isoprocarb
Isoprothiolane
Isoproturon
Isopyrazam
Isoxaben
Isoxathion
Ivermectin
Lenacil
Linuron
Lufenuron
Mandipropamid
Matrine
MCPA (SP)
Mecarbam
Mepanipyrim
Meptyldinocap
Mesosulfuron-methyl
Mesotrione
Metaflumizone
Metamitron
Metazachlor (SP)
Methiocarb (Sum)
Methoprotyne
Methoxyfenozide
Metobromuron
Metolachlor and S-Metolachlor
Metolcarb
Metoxuron
Metrafenone
Metsulfuron-methyl
Milbemectin SQ (Sum)
Milbemycin A3 (SQ)
Milbemycin A4 (SQ)
Monocrotophos
Monolinuron
monuron
Neburon
Nicosulfuron
Nitenpyram
Norflurazon
Novaluron
Omethoate
Oxadiargyl
Oxydiazon
Oxamyl
Oxasulfuron
Oxathiapiprolin
Oxycarboxin
Paclobutrazol
Pencycuron
Penthiopyrad
Phenmedipham
Phorate (Sum)
Phorate Oxon
Phorate Oxon Sulfone
Phorate Oxon Sulfoxide
Phorate Sulfone
Phorate Sulfoxide
Phosmet (SP)
Phosmet (Sum)
Phosmet oxon
Phosphamidon
Phoxim
Picolinafen
Picoxystrobin
Pinoxaden
Pirimicarb
Pirimicarb Desmethyl
Pirimicarb Desmethyl Formamide
Prochloraz (SP)
Prochloraz (Sum)
Promecarb
Propachlor
Propamocarb (SP)
Propanil
Propaquizafob
Propargite
Propham
Propiconazole
Propoxur
Proquinazid
Prosulfocarb
Prosulfuron
Prothiocaonazole
Pydiflumetofen
Pymetrozine
Pyracarbolid
Pyraclostrobin
Pyraflufen
Pydiflumetofen
Pymetrozine
Pyracarbolid
Pyraclostrobin
Pyraflufen
Pyraflufen-ethyl (SP)
Pyraflufen-ethyl (Sum)
Pyridalyl
Pyridate (SP)
Quinclorac
Quinoxyfen
Quizalofop-ethyl (SP)
Rimsulfuron
Rotenone
Saflufenacil (SP)
Sebuthylazine
Sethoxydim
Spinetoram
Spinosad
Spirodiclofen
Spiromesifen
Spirotetramat (SP)
Spirotetramat (Sum)
Spirotetramatenol-glucoside
Spirotetramat-enol
Spirotetramat-ketohydroxy
Spirotetramat-monohydroxy
Spiroxamine
Sulcotrione
Sulfosulfuron
Sulfotep
Sulfoxaflor
Tebufenozide
Teflubenzuron
Tepraloxydim (SP)
Terbufos
Terbufos (Sum)
Terbufos Sulfone
Terbufos Sulfoxide
TFNA
TFNG
Thiabendazole
Thiacloprid
Thiamethoxam
Thiamethoxam (Sum)
Thidiazuron
Thifensulfuron-methyl
Thiobencarb
Thiocyclam
Thiodicarb
Thiofanox
Thiofanox Sulfone
Thiofanox Sulfoxide
Thiophanate-methyl
Tolfenpyrad
Tolylfluanid (SP)
Tolyfluanid (Sum)
Triasulfuron
Triazophos
Triazoxide
Trichlorfon
Tricresyl phosphate
Tricyclazole
Tridemorph
Trifloxystrobin
Triflumizole (SP)
Triflumizole (Sum)
Triflumizole FM-6-1
Triflumuron
Triforine (SQ)
Triticonazole
Vamidothion
Zoxamide

Phthalates — Testing Details

Phthalates are linked to a range of adverse health effects in numerous studies involving both animals and humans. They are especially concerning because phthalates are associated with disruption of the endocrine hormone system. Hormones act at extremely low concentrations and play essential roles in development–determining how cells, tissues, and organs form–as well as in metabolism, reproduction, and immune function; even small disruptions can therefore have outsized biological consequences. Epidemiological studies have shown that phthalate exposure can alter hormone levels in ways that interfere with these critical processes. Several health outcomes associated with phthalate exposure are summarized below.

Mamavation’s EPA-certified lab tested for the following phthalates. This is not a complete list of all the phthalates that are allowed to be present as an indirect food additive according to the FDA, however, this list goes above and beyond what is already restricted by the European Union or the State of California.

Diethyl phthalate (DEP)
Di-n-propyl phthalate (DPP)
Diisobutyl phthalate (DIBP)
Dibutyl phthalate (DBP)
Dihexyl phthalate (DnHP)
Benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP)
Dicyclohexyl phthalate (DCHP)
Diisononyl phthalate (DINP)
Di-n-octyl phthalate (DnOP)
Diisodecyl phthalate (DIDP)
bis(2-Ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP)
Dimethyl phthalate (DMP)
Bis(2-propylheptyl) Phthalate (DPHP)
Didecyl phthalate (DDP)

Heavy Metals: Lead, Cadmium, Mercury & Arsenic — Testing Details

Our EPA-certified laboratory tested each prenatal vitamins for the following metals:

lead,
arsenic,
cadmium,
mercury

Mamavation then adjusted the lab results to align with California’s Proposition 65 by converting them into micrograms per day (ug/day) based on typical serving sizes. California uses some of the most health-protective exposure limits in the country. Instead of banning products outright, Proposition 65 requires companies to warn consumers when exposure to certain harmful chemicals exceeds established safety thresholds.

Proposition 65 has set “safe harbor” levels for several heavy metals tested in this study, including arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury. When exposures go above these levels, companies selling products in California must provide a warning label to inform consumers of potential risks related to cancer, birth defects, or other reproductive harm.

This approach is designed to put information directly in consumers’ hands, enabling informed choices about what they use and encouraging companies to reduce harmful contaminants whenever possible.

Here are the No Significant Risk Levels (NSRL) and the Maximum Allowable Dose Levels (MADL) established by the State of California for the heavy metals we tested:

Arsenic: 0.06 ug/day (inhalation), 10 ug/day (except inhalation)
Cadmium: 0.05 ug/day (inhalation), 4.1 ug/day (oral)
Lead: 0.5 ug/day level for reproductive toxicity, 15 ug/day (oral) for carcinogens
Mercury: no established levels in California, so the Federal maximum contaminant level for mercury would be followed instead.

Mamavation’s Raw Data From Our EPA-Certified Laboratory Ranked

Mamavation sent three sets of nine prenatal vitamins to different EPA-certified laboratories looking for traces of contaminants:

500+ pesticides (which is more comprehensive than other testing we’ve seen)
Glyphosate
40 PFAS “forever chemical” analytes like PFOA & PFOS. (This is different from our other studies where we measured total organic fluorine.)
Heavy metals (lead, cadmium, mercury, & arsenic)
Phthalates

If you would like to donate to our efforts, you can do so by giving a tax-deductible donation here through Environmental Health Sciences. You can also support our efforts by shopping our affiliate links. Please note that links below are affiliate in nature and any purchases will pay us back for the testing and allow us to do more testing in the future.

Product Brands We Tested

To help our community make safer choices, Mamavation sent multiple popular prenatal supplement brands to EPA-certified laboratories for contaminant testing. We also included several additional products selected by our community to give consumers a broader picture of what families are already purchasing. We evaluated all products for pesticides, PFAS, glyphosate, heavy metals, and phthalates.

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

Prenatal Vitamins Tested by Mamavation

FullWell Prenatal Multivitamin
Garden of Life Organics Prenatal Once Daily Whole Food Multivitamin
MaryRuth’s Organic Prenatal & Postnatal Multivitamins Gummies
MegaFood Baby & Me 2 Prenatal Multivitamin
Needed Prenatal Multi (Capsules)
New Chapter Advanced Perfect Prenatal Multivitamin Formulated for Absorption
Nordic Naturals Prenatal Multivitamin
Pure Encapsulations PreNatal Nutrients
SmartyPants Sugar Free Prenatal Multi & Omegas

Want full access to the raw data, contaminant results, and our recommendations for the safest prenatal vitamins? Sign up for a membership and get Free Access below.

The post Prenatal Vitamins Tested for Pesticides, Lead, Phthalates, & PFAS appeared first on MAMAVATION.

Best Grass-Fed Meat Box Delivery Companies for Beef, Chicken, & Pork

Leah Segedie — Tue, 25 Aug 2026 03:30:52 +0000

What are the best alternatives to “Big Meat?” Finding a grass-fed meat box delivery company that ships beef, chicken, & pork across the United States from small family farms. But what about their practices? What do they feed their animals? Do they raise their animals on pasture? Are antibiotics or hormones used? Mamavation reached out to the most popular meat box delivery companies and asked them very specific questions about their practices. After reviewing their responses and online materials, we’ve put together a list we believe you can use to shop. You’ve trusted Mamavation to bring you investigations like (1) safest cooking oil tested for phthalates, (2) safest rice tested for heavy metals, & (3) safest Vitamin D tested for pesticides, heavy metals, phthalates & PFAS; now join us for our favorite meat box delivery companies.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.

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 pigs eat a formulated grain-and-soy-based diet with fats, minerals, vitamins, and amino acids that supports fast, efficient growth in intensive indoor systems. This differs from pasture-based systems, where forage makes up a substantial portion of the diet.

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)(Get $20 off your first box by using “MAMAVATION” at checkout)
ButcherCrowd (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)
Kol Foods (Kosher)(100% Grass-fed Beef, 100% Grass-fed Lamb, Pasture-Raised Chicken, Pasture-Raised Turkey, Pasture-Raised Duck, & Wild-caught Salmon)
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 Meats (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!)
Miller’s 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 (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 Oak 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 Farm (100% Grassfed Beef, Pasture-Raised Organic Chicken, Grassfed Lamb, & Pastured Pork)
Crawley’s 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 Farm (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)
Miller’s 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 Farm (100% Grass-fed Beef, Pasture-Raised Chicken, Pasture-Raised Pork, Pasture-Raised Turkey, 100% Grass-fed Lamb, & Pasture-Raised Eggs)
White Oak 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.

Butter Wrappers & Indications of PFAS “Forever Chemicals” — Buying Guide

Leah Segedie — Mon, 17 Aug 2026 23:16:20 +0000

With all this talk of PFAS “forever chemicals” found inside butter wrappers, you may be asking yourself, “Where is the safest butter?” You’ve already heard that Kerrygold was sued in Superior Court after claiming to have “Pure Irish butter” while also packaging their products in contact wraps containing toxic PFAS “forever chemicals.” So which butter brands have indications of PFAS in their butter wrappers and which ones do not? Mamavation sent butter wrappers from several butter brands to an EPA-certified laboratory over the years to answer your questions. You’ve trusted Mamavation to bring you other consumer studies like safest cookware sans PFAS or nanoparticles, the best organic mattresses, the best air purifiers, and the best water filters to filter PFAS, now join us for a consumer study on indications of PFAS “forever chemicals” within butter wrappers.

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.

Safest Perfumes, Colognes, eau de parfums & Fine Fragrances

Leah Segedie — Mon, 10 Aug 2026 17:45:00 +0000

Which perfumes, colognes, eau de parfums, and fine fragrances are safest for your body and health? Mamavation evaluated the public ingredients of the most popular brands available to bring you a special list you can use to make safer purchases. You’ve trusted Mamavation to bring you topics like safest body lotions with fragrance disclosure, non-toxic deodorants tested for indications of PFAS, essential oils tested for phthalates, and green beauty makeup free of forever chemicals. Now join us for this investigation into perfumes, colognes, eau de parfums, and fine fragrances safest for inhalation and skin exposure.

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.

Although “natural” perfumes and colognes still contain chemicals that are sensitizing to some people, the saving grace is twofold:

More natural perfumes do not contain chemicals that are toxic and hormone-disrupting
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

Amyl cinnamal
Cinnamal
Cinnamyl alcohol
Eugenol
Geraniol
Hydroxycitronellal
Isoeugenol
Citral
Citronellal
Coumarin
Farnesol
Alpha-hexyl innamal
Hydroxyisohexyl 3-cyclohexene carboxaldehyde (Lyral)
Alpha-amycinnamyl alcohol
Anise alcohol
Benzyl alcohol
Benzyl benzoate
Benzyl cinnamate
Benzyl salicylate
Limonene
Butylphenyl methylpropional
Linalool
Methyl 2-octynoate
Alpha isomethylionone
Evernia furfuracea (tree moss extract)
Evernia prunastri (oakmoss extract)

Newly added Individual/Synthetic or Semi-synthetic Fragrance Chemicals

Additional chemicals added to the EU label standards.

6-Methyl Coumarin
3-Propylidenephthalide
Acetyl Cedrene
Alpha-Terpinene
Amyl Salicylate
Anethole
Benzaldehyde
Beta-Caryophyllene
Camphor
Carvone (isomers)
Dimethyl Phenethyl Acetate
Eugenyl Acetate
Geranyl Acetate
Hexadecanolactone
Hexamethylindanopyran
Isoeugenyl Acetate
Linalyl Acetate
Menthol
Methyl Salicylate
Pinene
Salicylaldehyde
Santalol
Sclareol
Terpineol (isomers)
Terpinolene
Tetramethyl acetyloctahydronaphthalenes
Trimethylbenzenepropanol (Majantol)
Trimethylcyclopentenyl Methylisopentenol
Vanillin
Rose Ketones (group: α-Damascone, β-Damascone, δ-Damascone, Damascenone, etc.)

Newly Added Natural Extracts / Essential Oils (and related)

Additional chemicals added to the new EU labeling standards.

Cananga Odorata Oil/Extract (Ylang-ylang)
Cedrus Atlantica Oil/Extract (Atlas cedar)
Cinnamomum Cassia Leaf Oil
Cinnamomum Zeylanicum Bark Oil (Ceylon cinnamon)
Citrus Aurantium Flower Oil (Neroli)
Citrus Aurantium Peel Oil
Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Peel Oil (Bergamot)
Citrus Limon Peel Oil (Lemon)
Eucalyptus Globulus Oil
Eugenia Caryophyllus Oil (Clove)
Jasmine Oil/Extract
Juniperus Virginiana Oil
Laurus Nobilis Leaf Oil (Bay laurel)
Lavandula Oil/Extract (Lavender/Lavandin)
Lemongrass Oil
Mentha Piperita Oil (Peppermint)
Mentha Viridis Leaf Oil (Spearmint)
Myroxylon Pereirae Oil/Extract (Balsam of Peru related)
Narcissus Extract
Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil (Geranium)
Pinus Mugo
Pinus Pumila
Pogostemon Cablin Oil (Patchouli)
Rose Flower Oil/Extract
Santalum Album Oil (Sandalwood)
Turpentine
Lippia Citriodora Absolute (Lemon verbena)

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 Fragrance Mist (or buy on Amazon)
Orebella Blooming Fire Eau de Parfum (or buy on Amazon)
Orebella Window2Soul Eau de Parfum (or buy on Amazon)
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 (or buy on Amazon)
DIME Dans Les Bois® Perfume (or buy on Amazon)
ESAS Summer ’95 Fragrance (or buy on Amazon)
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.

MAMAVATION

Safest Cast Iron Cookware Investigation — Quality Guide

Not All Cast Iron Cookware is Created the Same

Want to test for lead around the house yourself?

Benefits & Drawbacks of Non-Heme Iron Content in Cast Iron

Mamavation’s Investigation of Cast Iron Cookware

Not Our Favorite Cast Iron Cookware

Better Cast Iron Cookware

Best Cast Iron Cookware

Best (& Worst) Organic Infant Formulas — Cow’s Milk, Goat Milk, & Specialty

Why There is No Such Thing As Organic Formula

Like Other Moms, I Struggled To Breastfeed. At Such a Vulnerable Moment, The Organic Industry Lied to Me. And To You.

How I Sued the Organic Industry And Changed The Law

Ingredients Inside Organic Formula Not Allowable In Organic Food

How the Organic Industry Gets Away With Deceiving Consumers About Infant Formula

Additional Infant Formula Lab Results from Consumer Reports

Organic Formulas By Ingredients–Some Better Than Others

Not Our Favorite Organic Formulas

Cow’s Milk Formulas

Goat’s Milk Formulas

Specialty Formulas

Better Organic Infant Formulas

Cow’s Milk Formulas

Goat’s Milk Formulas

Specialty Formulas

Best Organic Infant Formulas

Cow’s Milk Formulas

Goat’s Milk Formulas

Specialty Formulas

Other Options For Moms Who Don’t Want to Purchase Organic Formula

Researchers Found Plasticizers, Flame Retardants & UV-Filter Exposure via Mattresses

Researchers Found Toxic Semivolatile Organic Compounds Being Emitted from Mattresses

Chemicals Found in Conventional Children’s Mattresses

Practical Tips For Families to Take Right Now

More Consumer Studies Testing Products for Young Families

Kids & Babies

Supplements

Home Goods & Other Consumer Products

Cleaning Products

Other Kitchen Accessories

Small Kitchen Appliances

Food Packaging

Serving & Plating

Cookware & Bakeware

Clothing

Feminine Care

Personal Care Products

Recommendations For Children’s Mattresses

Best Children’s Mattresses

Better Children’s Mattresses

Recommendations for Adult Mattresses

Non-Toxic Activewear Guide: Indications of PFAS “Forever Chemicals” in Workout Leggings & Yoga Pants

Toxic PFAS “Forever Chemicals” Inside Activewear Apparel

Main Findings of Mamavation’s Consumer Study On Activewear & PFAS “Forever Chemicals”

PFAS “Forever Chemicals” Are Linked to Terrible Health Outcomes

What to Look for When Purchasing Non-toxic Activewear and Want to Avoid PFAS “Forever Chemicals”

Regulation & Movements to Protect Your Family from Exposure to PFAS Through Clothing

Sources of PFAS Contamination in Activewear From Experts

Treatments for Stain or Water Resistance

Sprays & Lubrication on Equipment

Clean-Out Chemicals

Mamavation’s Consumer Study on Women’s Activewear & Indications of PFAS Details

Other Mamavation PFAS Testing Projects

Beauty & Personal Care Products

Food & Beverages PFAS Testing

Supplements PFAS Testing

Menstrual Products Testing

Clothing PFAS Testing

Food Packaging & Parchment Paper PFAS Testing

Baby & Children PFAS Testing

Computers, Phones, & Office PFAS Testing

Cleaning & Laundry Testing

Outdoors & Garden

Activewear Brands Tested by Mamavation

Indications of Toxic PFAS “Forever Chemicals” Found in Toilet Paper — Report

Mamavation Finds Indications of PFAS in Toilet Paper

Potential Health Impacts of Exposure to PFAS “Forever Chemicals” in Toilet Paper

Special Consideration: Toilet Paper Touches Our Most Intimate Parts

Bleaching — More Potential Health & Environmental Risks

Additional Toxic Additives That Don’t Belong In Toilet Paper