MD HB196

Expands the definition of "baby food" under Maryland's baby food testing law to include infant formula and infant cereal, which were previously excluded from testing requirements.

Infant formula is defined per federal law (21 U.S.C. § 321(z)) and infant cereal is defined per federal regulation (7 C.F.R. § 220.2).

The expanded definition subjects infant formula and infant cereal to existing requirements for toxic heavy metal testing (arsenic, cadmium, lead, mercury) by manufacturers at least monthly.

Manufacturers of newly-covered products must publicly disclose test results on their websites and include QR codes on labels linking to testing information.

Effective date: October 1, 2026.