The Baby Food Safety Act of 2026 would change the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to set limits and testing rules for contaminants in infant and toddler food and in foods mostly made of fruit or vegetable puree or juice. It defines "infant or toddler food" as food for children up to 24 months (excluding infant formula). The Secretary of Health and Human Services (through the FDA) must issue administrative orders that set limits for lead, cadmium, mercury, and arsenic in those foods and may set limits for other contaminants. The bill requires the FDA to use health data, state and local data, and public comment when making limits. Deadlines in the bill call for proposed limits for lead and arsenic by December 31, 2026; cadmium by April 30, 2027; and mercury by April 30, 2029, with final orders issued within 18 months after each proposed order. The limits must reflect levels that may make food harmful and the Secretary must review limits at least every 4 years.
The bill also requires facilities that make or process infant or toddler food (and certain puree/juice foods) to have a control program, to collect representative samples of final products, and to test those samples for lead, cadmium, mercury, arsenic, and any other contaminants the Secretary specifies. Facilities must prepare written sampling and testing plans, test at least quarterly (and when product or process changes), keep records for at least 2 years or the product shelf life (whichever is longer), and use accredited laboratories. The Secretary must issue guidance on sampling and testing within 18 months and develop an independent sampling and testing program to verify compliance. The sampling and testing requirements begin 2 years after enactment.
The bill adds record access rules for inspections and allows the FDA to request records remotely or in advance of inspections. It requires an FDA plan to implement an existing food traceability rule by January 20, 2027, and a one-year study and report to Congress on the number of inspections needed to ensure imported foods meet U.S. safety standards. It adds reporting requirements about inspection findings to the FDA's annual report. The bill also expands mandatory recall authority to cover foods determined adulterated under the new contaminant limits and creates new prohibited acts for failing to follow sampling, testing, and recordkeeping requirements.
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The bill text states its purpose is to ensure the safety of food and limit the presence of contaminants in infant and toddler food. Provisions in the bill would set contaminant limits, require testing, and expand recall authority to address foods that exceed those limits.
No publicly available information.