How Leading Baby Food Brands Turn AB 899 Into a Competitive Edge with Brij

Navigating AB 899 compliance can feel daunting. The regulation mandates baby food brands to provide parents with access to heavy metal test results, transparently and consistently. While some brands consider building their own solution, the complexities of compliance, database management, and delivering a parent-friendly experience quickly reveal the hidden costs and challenges of a DIY approach.

At Brij, we've built a purpose-driven solution designed to simplify compliance while enabling brands to use transparency as a competitive advantage. Before we dive into how Brij solves these challenges, let's explore why building an in-house AB 899 solution is more complex than it initially appears.

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The Hidden Complexity of DIY AB 899 Solutions

Managing a Scalable Database

Building a database to house test results isn't as simple as it sounds. AB 899 requires monthly testing across potentially hundreds or thousands of SKUs, with results generated by multiple labs using different formats and systems. This creates several critical challenges:

• Monthly Testing Requirements: Managing uploads from multiple labs across SKUs requires a system that is both reliable and easy to update on an ongoing basis.
• Database Ownership & Flexibility: To maintain control and mitigate risks, brands need to own their databases. Relying on lab-hosted solutions can create barriers to switching labs or evolving your processes.
• Multi-User Access & Bulk Uploads: A scalable solution must support multiple stakeholders, including labs and internal teams, and make data uploads seamless.

Without a robust database infrastructure, brands risk data silos, version control issues, and operational bottlenecks that scale linearly with product catalog growth.

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QR Code Management at Scale

Linking test results to products—and making those results accessible—is a complex task that extends beyond simply generating QR codes. Each code must be dynamically connected to specific product information, including UPC codes, lot numbers, and the corresponding test results.

Managing dynamic QR codes across an evolving product catalog requires centralized tools that are easy to update. When a new lot is tested, the QR code needs to point to the correct results without requiring new packaging or codes. When products are reformulated or testing protocols change, the entire system must adapt seamlessly. This level of flexibility demands sophisticated infrastructure that can be resource-intensive to build and maintain.

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Creating a Consumer-Friendly Experience

Compliance alone isn't enough to win over consumers. Transparency must be accessible, meaningful, and trust-building. In the case of AB 899 compliance, static PDFs of test results may satisfy the letter of the law but fail to deliver the experience modern parents expect.

Parents want clarity, not confusion. They need to understand what the test results mean, how they compare to safety standards, and what actions your brand is taking to ensure product safety. This requires thoughtful UX design, contextualization of technical data, and intuitive search functionality that allows parents to quickly find the specific information they need.

Beyond just displaying data, the experience should reinforce your brand values and commitment to transparency. Adding brand context, explaining testing protocols, and providing educational resources about heavy metal exposure transforms compliance from a regulatory checkbox into a trust-building opportunity.

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Future-Proofing for Regulatory Evolution

Regulations like AB 899 are likely to evolve. California's law is already influencing other states to consider similar legislation. Testing requirements may expand to cover additional heavy metals or contaminants. Disclosure formats and data accessibility standards may change.

Maintaining a DIY solution requires ongoing investment and expertise. Without a dedicated tech team monitoring regulatory changes and updating systems accordingly, brands risk falling behind or scrambling to achieve compliance when new requirements take effect. The true cost of a DIY solution extends far beyond initial development.

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The Brij Solution: Turning Compliance Into Competitive Advantage

Brij's Test Results and AB 899 Compliance solution transforms regulatory pressure into a brand advantage. Rather than viewing AB 899 as a burden, leading baby food brands are using Brij to differentiate themselves through transparency, build deeper trust with parents, and streamline their operations.

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Turnkey Compliance—No Development Required

Brij's platform is purpose-built for AB 899 compliance, eliminating the need for internal development or a dedicated tech team. The system handles all the technical complexity, allowing your team to focus on what matters most: your products and your customers.

Consumers can scan a QR code on your product packaging and be directed to an experience specific to that product. Alternatively, they can manually enter product details to search for the results they're looking for. This dual approach ensures accessibility regardless of how parents interact with your products.

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Centralized Database Management

Brij provides a central hub for all your heavy metal testing data. Brands can bulk upload files with test results that automatically link to the UPC for each product. The system captures comprehensive information including:

• Testing Panel(s): Indicates what the product was tested for
• Testing Lab: The name of the lab where the product was tested
• Lot Number: The unique identifier for the product lot
• Test ID: Unique identifier for the test
• Sample ID: Unique identifier for the specific sample tested
• Order ID: Linked to the test for enhanced traceability
• Test Date: When the test was conducted
• Expiration Date: When the test expires
• Product Tested: The name of the product tested
• Complete Test Result File: Full results viewable by consumers

You retain full ownership of your data, with flexibility to switch labs or scale operations as needed. Multi-user functionality and bulk upload tools simplify the process for labs and internal teams, making ongoing updates seamless.

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Dynamic QR Codes That Work

Brij's dynamic QR code system links test results at both the product and SKU levels. When parents scan a code, they're directed to the specific test results for that product lot—no confusion, no wrong information, no outdated results.

The centrally managed system ensures accuracy and ease of use. When new test results are uploaded, the QR code automatically points to the updated information without requiring new packaging or codes. This eliminates the operational complexity of managing multiple QR codes across your product line.

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Parent-Friendly Experiences That Build Trust

Brij transforms static PDFs into dynamic, contextualized experiences with easy-to-read results that reinforce your brand's commitment to transparency. Rather than overwhelming parents with raw data, the platform presents information clearly and intuitively.

Parents can view test results in a clear, accessible format, explore brand context including testing protocols and commitments to safety, and learn about additional resources like the FDA's "Closer to Zero" initiative. You can also provide educational content about reducing heavy metal exposure, positioning your brand as a trusted partner in child nutrition and safety.

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Partnership with Clean Label Project

Brij has partnered with Clean Label Project to enhance food safety and transparency by leveraging technology to empower consumers with clear and trusted information. This collaboration brings additional credibility and expertise to the platform, ensuring brands have access to industry-leading standards and best practices.

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Future-Proof Compliance

Brij's platform evolves alongside regulations, ensuring you're always ahead of the curve. As AB 899 requirements change or new states introduce similar legislation, Brij updates automatically to maintain compliance. No scrambling, no emergency development projects, no risk of falling behind.

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Real Results: How Leading Brands Are Using Brij for AB 89

Two pioneering baby food brands—Serenity Kids and Once Upon a Farm—demonstrate how Brij transforms AB 899 compliance from a regulatory burden into a competitive advantage. Both brands share a commitment to transparency, safety, and quality, and both recognized that a DIY solution could be resource-intensive and difficult to scale.

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The Challenge: Compliance That Builds Trust

Both Serenity Kids and Once Upon a Farm faced the same challenges confronting the entire baby food industry:

• Managing Test Results at Scale: Both brands needed a scalable solution to house and manage heavy metal test results across extensive product portfolios with frequent testing requirements.
• Linking Test Results to Products: They sought a way to connect test results to individual products, enabling parents to easily access the specific data they needed.
• Delivering a Parent-Friendly Experience: Static PDFs may satisfy compliance but fail to build trust. Both brands wanted to elevate the experience, making test results easy to access and understand while reinforcing their commitments to transparency and quality.
• Future-Proofing Compliance: As regulations like AB 899 evolve, Serenity Kids and Once Upon a Farm needed a flexible solution that would scale with changing requirements without ongoing technical investment.

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The Brij Solution in Action

Brij partnered with both brands to create comprehensive solutions that not only fulfilled AB 899 compliance requirements but also aligned with their brand values.

• ‍Dynamic QR Codes for Product-Specific Transparency: Brij enabled both brands to assign dynamic QR codes to product packaging, allowing parents to scan and access heavy metal test results for specific SKUs. These codes were seamlessly integrated across their product lines, from baby food pouches to kid snacks.‍
• Enhanced Parent Experiences: Brij transformed static PDFs into dynamic, interactive experiences, enabling parents to view test results in a clear, accessible format, explore brand context including testing protocols and commitments to safety, and learn about additional resources like the FDA's "Closer to Zero" initiative and tips for reducing heavy metal exposure.‍
• Centralized Database Management: Brij provided centralized databases for test results, allowing both brands to retain ownership of their data, simplify bulk uploads from labs, and ensure multi-user access for seamless updates across teams.

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The Results: Trust Through Transparency

Serenity Kids and Once Upon a Farm have set the standard for transparency in the baby and kids' food industry:

• Improved Accessibility: Parents can easily access test results specific to the product they purchased, building trust and reinforcing brand credibility.
• Operational Efficiency: Both brands have streamlined the process of managing and sharing test results, saving time and resources.
• Enhanced Brand Differentiation: By going beyond compliance, Serenity Kids and Once Upon a Farm use transparency as a competitive advantage, strengthening their positions as leaders in the industry.
• Measurable Engagement: Once Upon a Farm has seen over 15,000 scans of their test results experiences, while Serenity Kids has seen over 18,000 scans—demonstrating significant parent interest in transparency.

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Ready to Transform AB 899 Compliance Into Competitive Advantage?

AB 899 represents more than a regulatory requirement—it's an opportunity to demonstrate your brand's commitment to transparency, safety, and putting parents first. While building your own solution may seem appealing initially, the hidden complexities and ongoing costs quickly add up.

Brij's purpose-built platform turns compliance into a growth lever, allowing you to focus on what you do best: creating exceptional products for families. Leading brands like Once Upon a Farm and Serenity Kids have already made the switch, using Brij to manage test results at scale, enhance operational efficiency, and reinforce their reputations for safety and integrity.

With Brij, compliance isn't a burden—it's a competitive advantage that differentiates your brand and future-proofs your transparency strategy.

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Click here to book a Brij demo with our team of expert omnichannel strategists.

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