MD HB196

Expands the definition of "baby food" to include infant cereal (cereal-based foods for children under 12 months), while explicitly excluding infant formula from testing requirements

Prohibits the sale of baby food in Maryland containing toxic elements (arsenic, cadmium, lead, mercury) exceeding FDA limits, with infant cereal manufactured before April 1, 2028 exempted from immediate compliance

Requires manufacturers to test representative samples of each production aggregate monthly through ISO-accredited laboratories and make test results publicly available on their websites without requiring consumers to provide UPC numbers, lot numbers, or proof of purchase

Mandates QR codes on baby food labels linking to toxic element test results and FDA health information, with compliance deadlines of January 1, 2026 for most baby food and January 1, 2028 for infant cereal

Requires manufacturers selling baby food online in Maryland to include toxic element testing information on product detail pages by January 1, 2027, and to retain certificates of analysis for at least 5 years beginning April 1, 2028