This session will focus on Heavy Metals as a food safety hazard, including FDA’s Closer to Zero initiative. 1. Dr. Tom Neltner (Unleaded Kids) will review the risks posed by lead, cadmium, and inorganic arsenic and why baby food has become the priority. He will provide an update on FDA's Closer to Zero program and complementary California laws as well as FDA's legislative proposals. Finally, he will summarize opportunities for best practices to reduce contamination. 2. Dr. De Ann Davis (Western Growers) will present on the presence of heavy metals in soils and how atmospheric deposition, natural occurrence, and also some soil amendments add to the problem. Her presentation will focus specifically on cadmium and how the fresh produce industry can approach this problem, including introducing some of the pragmatic and cost-effective cadmium mitigation strategies. Important note: The information provided here is current up to the date of its recording on Thursday, April 25th, 2024. For more information, visit the IFS@CU's website: https://cals.cornell.edu/institute-for-food-safety