Pennsylvania Bill Aims to Set Enforcement Limits on Heavy Metals in Baby Foods

Pennsylvania’s H.B. 507, known as the “Baby Food Protection Act,” has advanced to the Pennsylvania Senate for review. The bill sets enforceable limits on the following heavy metals in baby foods: total arsenic at 10 parts per billion (ppb), lead at 5 ppb, cadmium at 5 ppb, and mercury at 2 ppb. The bill applies to “food that is pureed or minced to be easily consumed by babies or toddlers under two years of age.” If passed, H.B. 507 would be effective one year after being enacted into law.
The bill also requires the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture to test representative samples of each batch of baby food manufactured in the state for heavy metals. Manufacturers of baby foods tested by the Department of Agriculture would be required to label their products with the detected levels of the four specified heavy metals stated above, as well as the presence of other heavy metals identified through testing.
H.B. 507 would join several states that have passed laws enforcing heavy metals testing in baby foods, including Bill H.536 in Vermont, which was enacted in May 2026 and similarly sets product testing requirements for baby food and requires manufacturers to place a QR code on the product’s label linking back to the test results.
Keller and Heckman will continue to report on state legislative developments impacting product testing and labeling.