Comparison of fluoride concentrations in commonly consumed ready-to-eat infant foods

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to measure the fluoride concentrations in ready-to-eat infant food, and to determine if significant differences exist among flavors and brands. Methods: One hundred fifty samples of 5 infant food flavors from an organic infant food manufacturer and the largest infant food manufacturer were compared using the Taves microdiffusion method. Total fluoride ingestion per serving was calculated based on average amounts consumed and container size of individual products. Results: Fluoride concentrations ranged from 0.01 to 0.60 ppm (mean=0.170±0.125 [SD] ppm) for all samples, with both the highest and lowest fluoride concentrations found in processed banana infant food (Gerber, mean=0.320±0.167 ppm; Earth's Best, mean=0.030±0.013 ppm). Significant differences were noted when comparing the 2 infant food manufacturers for all flavors. Conclusions: The fluoride concentrations in ready-to-eat infant food varied among the 5 flavors tested. All infant foods tested were found to provide less fluoride than the Institute of Medicine tolerable upper daily intake. No trends in fluoride concentrations for different flavors or brands were noted. Fluoride in infant foods should be considered when determining total fluoride intake.