New York's fight to keep lead and other toxic metals out of baby food is putting a spotlight on the state's food-testing efforts as the federal government delays setting strict nationwide standards.

New York Attorney General Letitia James led a coalition urging the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to expedite limits on toxic elements in baby food after a report linked recalled products to hundreds of childhood lead poisoning cases.

The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets says its inspectors and lab are on the front lines, protecting the state's food supply.

"We want New Yorkers to know that there is a dedicated team that is vigilant and proactively watching our food supply to protect public health," said Katie Howard, the agency's deputy commissioner.

The state has jurisdiction over more than 36,000 food establishments. In 2023, inspectors seized over 652,000 pounds (296,000 kilograms) of violative products and issued around 130 recalls.

At the state's food lab, scientists test over 20,000 samples per year for contaminants.

"We collect samples from grocery stores, from farmers, and test for microbiology, contaminants or chemical contaminants," said Maria Ishida, director of the food lab.

The lab uses methods like inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry to detect heavy metals, including lead, arsenic and cadmium in baby foods.

"That sampling gets pulled to the food lab, where our team conducts analysis to determine if there's anything that would impact health and safety," Howard said.

If violations are found, the state moves quickly to notify companies and coordinate recalls based on risk levels.

"They are going to classify the gravity of the problem and go back to the establishment about the violation," Ishida said. "Independent of the gravity, it can be a recall class one or class two."

While the federal government has only set limits on inorganic arsenic in infant rice cereal, James and others insist the FDA must do more, as no level of lead is considered safe for children.

"I want to assure New Yorkers you have a dedicated team working daily to ensure the health and safety of your food supply," Howard said. "You may not see us, but we are there inspecting."

The FDA says it is working to develop toxic element limits for baby foods, but has not provided a timeline. Consumer advocates say faster action is needed from federal regulators.