Baby Food Safety Act of 2026

Key Points

• The bill requires the FDA to set legal limits on four toxic metals (lead, arsenic, cadmium, and mercury) in baby food and fruit/vegetable purees or juices. Proposed rules for lead and arsenic must come out by the end of 2026, with cadmium following by April 2027 and mercury by April 2029.
• Companies making food for babies and toddlers (under 24 months) must create a testing plan, collect samples of finished products at least quarterly, and test for toxic metals. They must keep detailed records for at least two years and make them available to the FDA on request.
• Baby food that exceeds the new contamination limits would be legally classified as "adulterated," giving the FDA the power to force mandatory recalls and pull dangerous products from store shelves.
• The bill strengthens oversight of imported baby food by requiring importers to verify testing records and directing the FDA to study how many inspections are needed to hold foreign-made food to the same safety standards as domestic products.
• The FDA must review its contamination limits at least every four years, using updated health data, to ensure the standards keep pace with the latest science on what is safe for children.