Baja Gold Salt Co. Mineral Sea Salt (Fine Grind, Mexico) Tests Positive for Lead and Arsenic — September 2024 Lab Report

Original article published by Tamara Rubin on Lead Safe Mama, LLC — September 18, 2024 (Updated: April 26, 2025).
🔗 View Original Article on Lead Safe Mama

Key Finding

Independent, third-party laboratory testing coordinated by Lead Safe Mama, LLC confirmed that Baja Gold Salt Co. Mineral Sea Salt, Fine Grind (sourced from Mexico, harvested from the Sea of Cortez) tested positive for both Lead and Arsenic at levels that exceed the Action Levels proposed by the scientific and medical community under the Baby Food Safety Act of 2021. The lab used for this round of testing was SimpleLab, which had switched laboratory facilities, resulting in a slightly higher low threshold of detection than in prior rounds.

Baja Gold is marketed as a premium, mineral-rich, unrefined sea salt popular in health-conscious communities — and had previously performed relatively well compared to mined salts like Redmond Real Salt. This report was notable because many consumers had turned to Baja Gold specifically as a safer alternative.

Context: What Is an "Action Level"?

Action Level ≠ Maximum Allowable Level. Many food manufacturers misinterpret Action Levels as permissible thresholds — this is an intentional or accidental misreading of the guidance.
Once a food product tests at or above the Action Level for a heavy metal, the scientific and medical community considers it unsafe for children.
Action Levels are not related to serving size. PPB is a percentage that applies to any quantity consumed.
The Baby Food Safety Act of 2021 proposed these levels — they were never passed into law — but remain scientifically and medically valid benchmarks for children's food safety.
Food industry lobbyists argued these levels were unachievable — a claim Lead Safe Mama disputes by pointing to 11 food products already tested and confirmed non-detect for Lead, Cadmium, Mercury, and Arsenic: View the safer foods list here.
Lead bio-mimics Calcium in the body — it is stored in the brain, bones, organs, and teeth in place of Calcium. Nearly all Lead you have ever been exposed to remains stored in your body. Watch Tamara's documentary film on childhood Lead poisoning.
It is cumulative, lifetime Lead exposure that causes lasting harm. Read more about Lead bioaccumulation.
The Action Level concept parallels the American Academy of Pediatrics' 1 ppb threshold for Lead in water (vs. FDA's official 15 ppb standard). Read more about safe lead levels in water.

Important Note on Serving Size Argument

The article specifically addresses — and dismisses — the industry argument that "you only consume a small amount of salt, so the heavy metal levels don't matter." Lead Safe Mama has written a dedicated article explaining why serving size is an irrelevant metric when evaluating heavy metal safety in food: Why Relying on Serving Size to Limit Toxicant Exposure Is Not Protective of Human Health

What Actions Should Manufacturers Take?

Per the Lead Safe Mama framework, when a food product tests at or above the proposed Action Level, manufacturers should:

Take steps to reduce toxicant levels in the product.
Cease sales of the product until it can be made safe.
Make a highly-visible public announcement identifying which batches should be recalled or not consumed.

Reader Q&A Highlights from the Article

Does this apply to coarse or natural grain Baja Gold variants? — Tamara's response: "If it is the same source, the results are likely similar."
"I've been eating Baja Gold for 3 years with no issues." — Tamara responds that blood lead testing is insufficient for detecting most food-sourced Lead exposure due to high detection thresholds. She recommends a provoked urine test instead. Read more about heavy metal testing methods.
On the "fear mongering" accusation: Lead Safe Mama's position on education vs. fear mongering.
Several readers asked about switching to Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt as an alternative — no Lead Safe Mama lab test results are reported for that product in this article.

Recommended Safer Alternative (per Lead Safe Mama)

The only salt tested by Lead Safe Mama, LLC to come back clean is Jacobsen Salt Co. Pure Kosher Oregon Sea Salt:

Lab Report: Jacobsen Salt Co. Pure Kosher Oregon Sea Salt (July 2024)
Note: The Jacobsen Italian Fine Sea Salt was separately tested and did test positive for Lead: Jacobsen Italian Salt Lab Report (September 2024)
Amazon affiliate link for the recommended Jacobsen Oregon salt

External Sources & Coverage

Baja Gold's Official Response: Heavy Metals in Unrefined Sea Salts — Baja Gold Salt Co. (August 2024)

Baja Gold's own blog post addressing increased public discussion about heavy metals in unrefined sea salts. The company states that heavy metals are naturally occurring in the environment and present in trace amounts in nearly all food. They argue that relevant safety limits vary by food type and are correlated to the quantity consumed — pointing out that water, consumed in much larger quantities, has stricter limits than salt. They provide multiple third-party lab reports on their dedicated lab transparency page.

Baja Gold Mineral Lab — Official Third-Party Test Results Page (Ongoing, Updated Through 2025)

Baja Gold publishes a rolling series of third-party lab reports on their website covering both major minerals and extended mineral profiles, with reports from August 2024, November 2024, March 2025, September 2025, and December 2025. They note: "Laboratory reports are shared to illustrate elemental ranges. There is no implied correlation to purchases from specific time periods or lot numbers."

How Healthy Is Baja Gold Salt? A Comprehensive Nutrition Review — Nutri.it.com (November 2025)

An independent nutritional review that acknowledges the September 2024 third-party finding of Lead and Arsenic in Baja Gold, while contextualizing it within the broader landscape of trace minerals in unrefined salts. The article notes Baja Gold's company testing claims levels are "far below international safety thresholds" including CODEX and Prop 65 limits. Concludes that Baja Gold is "generally considered safe when used in moderation" but concedes the heavy metal debate is an important factor for consumers to weigh.

Sea Salt & Himalayan Salt Tested for Heavy Metals — Mamavation (Updated September 2025)

Mamavation independently sent 23 salt products to an EPA-certified laboratory for testing of aluminum, arsenic, cadmium, mercury, lead, and microplastics. In their results, Baja Gold Mineral Sea Salt ranked among the lowest in heavy metals of all brands tested — alongside Colima Sea Salt. However, all 23 products had detectable amounts of at least some metals. Scientific review was performed by Terrence Collins (Teresa Heinz Professor of Green Chemistry, Carnegie Mellon University) and Pete Myers (Chief Scientist at Environmental Health Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University).

Celtic Salt & Redmond Real Salt Tested Higher in Heavy Metals Than Multiple Other Brands — Green Living Tribe (September 2024)

A consumer wellness article summarizing the Mamavation salt testing results. It ranked salt brands from highest to lowest heavy metal content, noting that Redmond Real Salt and Celtic Sea Salt tested worst, while Baja Gold and Colima Sea Salt stood out for having the lowest overall heavy metal levels in that dataset. This creates a nuanced picture: Baja Gold fares well in the Mamavation comparison but still failed Lead Safe Mama's Action Level threshold.

The Unseen Risks in Your Sea Salt — True Cellular Formulas

A health-focused article that cites a 338 ppb Lead figure for Baja Gold Sea Salt (a higher figure than the Lead Safe Mama September 2024 test result), noting that consuming just four pinches daily at that concentration could exceed safe lead exposure levels. Recommends choosing salts with Lead levels below 50 ppb. References Mamavation and peer-reviewed studies on lead and kidney disease.

Heavy Metals in Salt: Third-Party Tested Options for Safe Consumption — Ruan Living (2024)

Comprehensive guide cross-referencing Lead Safe Mama, Mamavation, and other independent salt testing data. Baja Gold appears in their results table alongside Redmond and other tested brands. Cites peer-reviewed studies on arsenic neurotoxicity, lead biomarkers, and carcinogenic potential.

Baja Gold Salt Positive for Lead & Arsenic — Ground News Coverage (September 2024)

Ground News (a media bias and news aggregation platform) tracked and indexed the Lead Safe Mama report on Baja Gold Salt, noting it was first published on September 18, 2024 and has received continued readership since.

Summary: Baja Gold vs. Other Salt Brands

Lead Safe Mama (Sep 2024): Baja Gold tests positive for Lead and Arsenic — above the 5 ppb children's Action Level.
Mamavation (EPA-certified lab): Baja Gold ranks among the lowest of 23 brands tested for heavy metals overall — but still detectable.
True Cellular Formulas: Cites 338 ppb Lead figure for Baja Gold from a separate test — significantly higher than Lead Safe Mama's result, underscoring batch-to-batch variation.
Green Living Tribe: Baja Gold is among the cleaner brands in the Mamavation comparison — better than Redmond or Celtic Salt.
Baja Gold (company): Publishes rolling third-party lab results claiming levels are within international safety thresholds; disputes that trace levels pose harm.
Nutri.it.com: Considers Baja Gold "generally safe in moderation" but acknowledges independent findings and batch variability.
Recommended alternative (Lead Safe Mama): Jacobsen Salt Co. Pure Kosher Oregon Sea Salt — the only salt independently tested to come back non-detect for all four heavy metals to date.