Last updated: March 2026
If you're shopping for baby food and wondering how different brands stack up when it comes to heavy metals, we've analyzed the test data so you don't have to. We compared 21 Cerebelly products and 55 Plum Organics products using published third-party test results and AB 899 compliance data.
The good news first: Both brands pass all California regulatory limits for lead, arsenic, mercury, and cadmium. Every single product we analyzed is safe for your baby. This comparison shows how these safe products compare to each other—relative purity within a safe range, not absolute safety ratings.
Here's what the data reveals about each brand and where you'll find the cleanest options.
| Metal | Avg Level (ppb) |
|---|---|
| Lead | 2.11 |
| Arsenic | 8.14 |
| Mercury | 0.20 |
| Cadmium | 9.36 |
| Metal | Avg Level (ppb) |
|---|---|
| Lead | 2.88 |
| Arsenic | 4.49 |
| Mercury | ~0 |
| Cadmium | 4.56 |
Cerebelly's strongest product. A puree-style smoothie with excellent purity metrics.
Plum's top performer. Puree products consistently score higher across the brand.
Tied for second. Fruit-forward blends appear cleaner than vegetable-heavy options.
Another strong performer from Plum's fruit-based lineup.
Cerebelly's average purity score is dragged down significantly by their Smart Bars line. Four products in this category—Strawberry Beet, Apple Kale, Sweet Potato Blueberry Banana, and Carrot Date—show cadmium levels between 32–34 ppb. While still within California's 50 ppb regulatory limit, these are the highest cadmium levels we saw across the entire dataset.
Pouch and smoothie products from Cerebelly perform much better, suggesting the bar format or specific ingredient combinations used in this line may concentrate metals differently. If you prefer Cerebelly's brand, their puree-based products are a safer bet.
Like Cerebelly, Plum's weakest products are in the snack category. Mighty Puffs Beet + Strawberry (35), Mighty Nut Butter Bar Almond (36), and Strawberry Mighty Snacks Bars (38) are their lowest-scoring items. All are still safe, but they score below Plum's pouch and puree offerings.
The pattern is clear across both brands: dried, pressed, or bar-format products tend to show higher metal levels than liquid purees and pouches, likely due to concentration of minerals during processing.
Both brands' snack bars, puffs, and bites score lower than their purees and pouches. This isn't unique to either brand—it appears to be a category-wide pattern. The processing and drying required for shelf-stable snacks may concentrate naturally occurring elements.
Both brands are safe. Every product analyzed passes California's heavy metals regulations. If either brand is available in your area and aligns with your budget, your baby will be fine eating from it.
For slightly higher purity scores overall: Plum Organics edges ahead on average (63.2 vs 55.6), with particular strength in arsenic and cadmium levels and virtually undetectable mercury across their line. Plum's larger product range (55 products vs 21) also gives more tested options to choose from.
For lead control: Cerebelly has a slight advantage in average lead levels.
For purees and pouches specifically: Both brands' soft formats are strong. If you love Cerebelly's brand but want to minimize heavy metal exposure, stick to their pouches and smoothies, and avoid the Smart Bars line.
The real takeaway: Choose the brand you can afford and find easily. Focus on what format you're feeding (pouches score consistently well for both), and rotate products when you can to minimize any exposure patterns. Safe and practical beats perfect.
Learn About Our Scoring Methodology