Cereal
7,947 products, 2 with published lab results.
Typical levels
What FDA found when it bought and tested this kind of food around the US.
- Cadmium: typically 17.3 ppb (FDA, 12 samples, 2018-2020).
A toddler reaches EPA's daily limit at about 720 g (25 oz) a day; an adult at about 3.4 kg (7.5 lb).One serving (100 g (3½ oz)):14% of a toddler's daily limit3% of a adult's daily limit
- Arsenic (total): typically 49.5 ppb (FDA, 12 samples, 2018-2020). No US agency limit we can cite.
- Inorganic arsenic: typically 90.4 ppb (FDA, 3 samples, 2018-2020).
A toddler reaches EPA's daily limit at about 9.7 g (0.34 oz) a day; an adult at about 45 g (1.6 oz).One serving (100 g (3½ oz)):▲ 10× a toddler's daily limit▲ 2.2× a adult's daily limit
- Lead, Mercury, Perchlorate: usually below 4 ppb, the lab's limit, in FDA's samples.
FDA samples behind these numbers
- Lead in Cereal, corn flakes: found in 1 of 3, average 1.47, highest 4.4 ppb (2018-2020)
- Lead in Cereal, crisped rice: found in 1 of 3, average 1.5, highest 4.5 ppb (2018-2020)
- Lead in Cereal, oat ring: found in 2 of 3, average 3.6, highest 6.4 ppb (2018-2020)
- Lead in Cereal, shredded wheat, frosted: found in 0 of 3, all below 4 ppb (2018-2020)
- Cadmium in Cereal, corn flakes: found in 3 of 3, average 1.27, highest 1.3 ppb (2018-2020)
- Cadmium in Cereal, crisped rice: found in 3 of 3, average 21.7, highest 39 ppb (2018-2020)
- Cadmium in Cereal, oat ring: found in 3 of 3, average 20, highest 25 ppb (2018-2020)
- Cadmium in Cereal, shredded wheat, frosted: found in 3 of 3, average 39.7, highest 57 ppb (2018-2020)
- Mercury in Cereal, corn flakes: found in 0 of 3, all below 1 ppb (2018-2020)
- Mercury in Cereal, crisped rice: found in 2 of 3, average 2.37, highest 4.1 ppb (2018-2020)
- Mercury in Cereal, oat ring: found in 0 of 3, all below 1 ppb (2018-2020)
- Mercury in Cereal, shredded wheat, frosted: found in 0 of 3, all below 1 ppb (2018-2020)
- Arsenic (total) in Cereal, corn flakes: found in 0 of 3, all below 3 ppb (2018-2020)
- Arsenic (total) in Cereal, crisped rice: found in 3 of 3, average 170, highest 210 ppb (2018-2020)
- Arsenic (total) in Cereal, oat ring: found in 3 of 3, average 29, highest 35 ppb (2018-2020)
- Arsenic (total) in Cereal, shredded wheat, frosted: found in 1 of 3, average 1.1, highest 3.3 ppb (2018-2020)
- Inorganic arsenic in Cereal, crisped rice: found in 3 of 3, average 93.1, highest 103 ppb (2018-2020)
- Perchlorate in Corn flakes cereal: found in 3 of 20, average 0.2, highest 2 ppb (2008-2012)
- Perchlorate in Crisped rice cereal: found in 4 of 20, average 0.45, highest 3 ppb (2008-2012)
- Perchlorate in Oat ring cereal: found in 20 of 20, average 4.9, highest 9 ppb (2008-2012)
"Typically" is FDA's middle sample. Daily amounts use the long-run average and each chemical's daily limit (EPA reference dose, or FDA's level for lead) for a 33-lb toddler and a 154-lb adult. ppb = micrograms per kilogram of food. Source: FDA Total Diet Study.
Tested products
Median of each product's samples, in ppb (parts per billion), counting samples below the lab's limit. “<10” means the median is below the lab's limit of 10; “–” means not tested for that chemical.
| Product | DEHP | DBP | DIBP | BBP | DEP | DMP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cheerios 100% Whole Grain Oats Cereal | 21 | 37 | 15 | <5 | <10 | <5 |
| Kelloggs Froot Loops | 16 | 19 | <10 | <5 | <10 | <5 |