There should be, in our opinion, general approval among state lawmakers that there should be more testing of the baby food parents find on store shelves.

The federal Food and Drug Administration earlier this year set new, lower maximum levels for lead in baby foods like jarred fruits and vegetables, yogurts and dry cereal, part of an effort to cut young kids’ exposure to the toxic metal that causes developmental and neurological problems. The agency issued final guidance that it estimated could reduce lead exposure from processed baby foods by about 20% to 30%. The limits are voluntary, not mandatory, for food manufacturers, but they allow the FDA to take enforcement action if foods exceed the new levels.

Four states have passed laws to force the baby food industry to test their products and inform families about the levels of heavy metals like lead and arsenic. Illinois is the latest state to pass the legislation this summer, following Maryland and Virginia, with one Bronx lawmaker pushing New York to join the list. Assemblywoman Emerita Torres wants to prohibit the sale of baby food in New York containing levels of toxic heavy metals above limits set by the state Department of Agriculture and Markets in collaboration with the state Health Department rather than relying on the new federal limits. Torres would require manufacturers to test representative samples of each production aggregate at least once a month in an accredited laboratory and then require manufacturers to publish testing results on a publicly accessible website with product identifiers and a link to FDA guidance. Product labels would also be required to include a QR code directing consumers to testing results and FDA guidance. Additionally, Torres proposes the state create a process for consumers to report suspected violations, with authority for the state to share reports with regulators.

We would prefer such testing be handled at the federal level so that baby food across the country is safer for babies to eat. But that doesn’t seem likely given the federal government’s reliance on voluntary limits rather than mandatory limits. We know the dangers lead and other toxic metals can mean for children. New York should go beyond the federal guidelines when it comes to testing baby foods to make sure they are safer for children.