Assembly Announces Passage of Legislation to Protect Infants from Toxic Chemicals in Baby Products

Assembly Announces Passage of Legislation to Protect Infants from Toxic Chemicals in Baby Products

Speaker Carl Heastie, Consumer Affairs Committee Chair Nily Rozic, Assemblymember Emérita Torres and Assemblymember Grace Lee today announced the Assembly passed legislation to strengthen safety protections and ensure transparency for infant food and cosmetic products.

"This legislation is about transparency, accountability and equipping parents with the guidance they need to make informed choices when buying food and cosmetic products for their infants," said Speaker Heastie. "Infants are some of the most vulnerable New Yorkers, and the Assembly Majority will always ensure that infant product manufacturers doing business in New York are prioritizing the health and safety of our children above all else."

"Parents should not have to be chemists to keep their children safe," said Assemblymember Rozic. "Whether it's carcinogens in products marketed for infants or toxic heavy metals in baby food and formula, families deserve transparency and accountability. I was proud to move these bills through the Consumer Affairs and Protection Committee because protecting children from preventable health risks is one of the most important responsibilities we have as legislators."

The "Baby Food and Infant Formula Safety and Transparency Act" (A.9026-A, Torres) requires manufacturers to test representative samples monthly in an accredited laboratory and to publish results with a link to Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidance. It also requires product labels include a QR code directing consumers to testing results and FDA guidance. This bill would also prohibit the sale of baby food in New York containing levels of toxic heavy metals above limits set by the Department of Agriculture and Markets in collaboration with the Department of Health.

"Parents should know that the food they feed their babies is safe, lab tested and free of toxic heavy metals that can harm our children," said Assemblymember Torres. "We continue to see too many preventable cases nationwide where young children are exposed to dangerous toxins in their food that families thought were safe. This bill ensures that baby food manufacturers are regularly testing the foods they produce and making those results available to the public."

Infants and children are vulnerable to chemical exposure due to their developing immune systems, thinner skin barriers and daily use of lotions. Preservatives are often used in infant cosmetic products to increase shelf-life, but they can create a product called 1,4- dioxane which is linked to several types of cancer or other adverse health effects. Legislation passed by the Assembly would establish disclosure requirements for ingredients in infant cosmetic products, such as lotions (A.11360, Lee). This would require a label if a product includes a carcinogen, as well as a label disclosing ingredients in the order of predominance.

"Parents should not need a chemistry degree to understand if products are safe for their children," said Assemblymember Lee. "As a mom of three and an environmental advocate, I am proud to champion transparency and accountability for baby cosmetics products. Some of these products are known to contain harmful preservatives and chemicals linked to cancer or other adverse health effects. Every parent deserves to be able to make informed decisions about the products they buy and have peace of mind when they use them on their children."