This timeline is the historical view of every dated regulation the Heavy Metal Index tracks. Read top-to-bottom for the trajectory of the regulatory floor: which limits came in when, which superseded what, where international and EU framings drift apart from US framings.
The page is auto-regenerated on every build from the effective_date frontmatter on each regulation page. Edits by hand are overwritten on the next prebuild.
Headline trajectory
The index carries 153 dated regulations. Earliest in the timeline: 1951-12-27 (japan-mhlw-milk-products-standards, Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare). Most recent: 2026-07-13 (australia-customs-prohibited-imports-heavy-metal-imports, Office of Parliamentary Counsel, Australia). By decade: 1950s: 2 · 1980s: 3 · 1990s: 7 · 2000s: 23 · 2010s: 55 · 2020s: 63.
Chronology by decade
1950s
| Effective | Title | Jurisdiction | Agency | Metals | Limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1951-12-27 | japan-mhlw-milk-products-standards | JP | Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare | Lead, Cadmium, Total arsenic | multiple varies | source-snapshot |
| 1959-12-28 | japan-notice-370-food-contact-heavy-metals | JP | Japan Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare | Lead, Antimony | multiple percent by weight | active |
1980s
| Effective | Title | Jurisdiction | Agency | Metals | Limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984-11-06 | FDA CPG Sec. 540.600 Fish, Shellfish, Crustaceans and other Aquatic Animals — Methyl Mercury | United States (federal) | FDA | Methylmercury | 1 ppm methyl mercury expressed as mercury | active |
| 1988-06-24 | south-africa-gn-r1227-1988-cosmetic-mercury-preservatives | ZA | South Africa Minister of National Health and Population Development | Total mercury | multiple mg/kg | active |
| 1989-10-01 | EPA IRIS — Cadmium Oral Reference Doses | United States (federal) | EPA | Cadmium | 1 µg/kg-bw/day-food | in-force |
1990s
| Effective | Title | Jurisdiction | Agency | Metals | Limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993-02-19 | usa-epa-40-cfr-503-biosolids-metal-limits | United States (federal) | U.S. Environmental Protection Agency | Total arsenic, Cadmium, Lead, Total mercury, Nickel | multiple mg/kg dry weight | active |
| 1995-01-01 | Codex CXS 193-1995 - Tin maximum levels for canned foods | International (Codex / JECFA / WHO) | Codex Alimentarius Commission | Tin | multiple mg/kg | active |
| 1995-04-02 | Norma Oficial Mexicana NOM-027-SSA1-1993, Productos de la pesca: pescados frescos-refrigerados y congelados | Mexico | Secretaria de Salud | Cadmium, Total mercury, Methylmercury, Lead | multiple mg/kg | superseded |
| 1995-04-02 | Norma Oficial Mexicana NOM-028-SSA1-1993, Productos de la pesca: pescados en conserva | Mexico | Secretaria de Salud | Cadmium, Total mercury, Methylmercury, Lead, Tin | multiple mg/kg | superseded |
| 1995-05-01 | EPA IRIS — Mercuric Chloride Oral Reference Dose | United States (federal) | EPA | Inorganic mercury | 0.3 µg/kg-bw/day | in-force |
| 1996-01-01 | chile-decreto-977-heavy-metal-limits | CL | Chile Ministry of Health | Total arsenic, Inorganic arsenic, Cadmium, Tin | multiple mg/kg; mg/L; percent by weight | active |
| 1997-05-01 | California Proposition 65 — Cadmium Listing and Maximum Allowable Daily Level | United States — California | OEHHA | Cadmium | 4.1 µg/day-oral | in-force |
2000s
| Effective | Title | Jurisdiction | Agency | Metals | Limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001-07-27 | EPA IRIS — Methylmercury Oral Reference Dose | United States (federal) | EPA | Methylmercury | 0.1 µg/kg-bw/day | in-force |
| 2002-04-05 | Commission Regulation (EC) No 466/2001 setting maximum levels for certain contaminants in foodstuffs | European Union | European Commission | Lead, Cadmium, Total mercury | multiple mg/kg | superseded |
| 2002-05-07 | eu-directive-2002-32-animal-feed-heavy-metals | European Union | European Parliament and Council | Total arsenic, Cadmium, Lead, Total mercury | multiple mg/kg (ppm) | active |
| 2003-01-01 | us-16cfr1500-17a13-lead-cored-candle-wicks | United States (federal) | US Consumer Product Safety Commission | Lead | multiple percent by weight | active |
| 2003-06-01 | JECFA — Methylmercury Provisional Tolerable Weekly Intake (1.6 µg/kg b.w./week) | International (Codex / JECFA / WHO) | JECFA | Methylmercury | 1.6 µg/kg-bw/week | in-force |
| 2004-07-08 | EPA IRIS — Lead, Oral RfD and Carcinogenicity Assessment | United States (federal) | EPA | Lead | not-derived | qualitative-only |
| 2004-12-01 | india-is-3959-2004-skin-powders | IN | Bureau of Indian Standards | Lead, Total arsenic | multiple ppm | active |
| 2004-12-01 | india-is-6608-2004-skin-creams | IN | Bureau of Indian Standards | Lead, Total arsenic | multiple ppm | active |
| 2006-01-23 | EPA — Maximum Contaminant Level for Arsenic in Drinking Water | United States (federal) | EPA | Inorganic arsenic | 10 ppb | in-force |
| 2007-01-01 | singapore-acd-2007-carbon-black-impurities | SG | Singapore Health Sciences Authority | Total arsenic, Lead, Total mercury | multiple ppm | active |
| 2007-03-01 | Commission Regulation (EC) No 1881/2006 setting maximum levels for certain contaminants in foodstuffs | European Union | European Commission | Lead, Cadmium, Total mercury, Methylmercury, Inorganic arsenic, Tin | — | superseded |
| 2007-12-04 | panama-decreto-467-2007-plant-product-heavy-metals | PA | Ministerio de Salud de Panama | Lead, Cadmium | multiple mg/kg or stated source unit | active |
| 2008-05-22 | EFSA — Aluminium Tolerable Weekly Intake (1 mg/kg b.w./week) | European Union | EFSA | Aluminium | 1 mg/kg-bw/week | in-force |
| 2008-09-01 | ATSDR — Minimal Risk Levels for Aluminum | United States (federal) | ATSDR | Aluminium | 1 mg/kg-bw/day | in-force |
| 2008-09-20 | costa-rica-rtcr409-2008-fishery-contaminants | CR | Servicio Nacional de Salud Animal (SENASA) | Total mercury, Cadmium, Lead, Tin | multiple mg/kg | active |
| 2008-11-27 | japan-mhlw-foodstuffs-2008-drink-beverage-tin | JP | Japan Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare | Tin | multiple ppm | active |
| 2008-12-19 | California Proposition 65 — Hexavalent Chromium Listing and Safe-Harbor Levels | United States — California | OEHHA | Hexavalent chromium | 8.2 µg/day-oral-MADL | in-force |
| 2009-01-01 | fiji-food-safety-regulations-2009-chemical-contaminants | FJ | Fiji Food Safety Board | Total arsenic, Cadmium, Lead, Total mercury, Tin, Cr-total | multiple mg/Kg; mg/l for natural mineral water | active |
| 2009-01-30 | EFSA — Tolerable Weekly Intake for Cadmium, 2.5 µg/kg b.w./week | European Union | EFSA | Cadmium | 2.5 µg/kg-bw/week | in-force |
| 2009-06-19 | panama-resolucion-368-2009-fishery-contaminants | PA | Departamento de Proteccion de Alimentos, Ministerio de Salud | Cadmium, Lead, Total mercury | multiple mg/kg | active |
| 2009-07-01 | washington-cspa-childrens-products-lead-cadmium | United States — Washington State | Washington State Legislature | Lead, Cadmium | multiple percent by weight | active |
| 2009-08-14 | ASTM F963 — soluble migrated element limits (mandatory US toy standard under CPSIA §106) | United States (federal) | ASTM International / US CPSC | Lead, Cadmium, Total arsenic, Total mercury, Cr-total, Antimony | — | active |
| 2009-10-01 | EFSA — Arsenic in Food (2009), No-PTWI Position | European Union | EFSA | Inorganic arsenic | BMDL01 | in-force-no-threshold |
2010s
| Effective | Title | Jurisdiction | Agency | Metals | Limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010-03-18 | EFSA — Lead in Food (2010), No-Threshold Position | European Union | EFSA | Lead | µg/kg-bw/day-BMDL | in-force-no-threshold |
| 2010-06-01 | JECFA — Provisional Tolerable Monthly Intake for Cadmium, 25 µg/kg b.w./month | International (Codex / JECFA / WHO) | JECFA | Cadmium | 25 µg/kg-bw/month | in-force |
| 2010-06-01 | JECFA — Lead Provisional Tolerable Weekly Intake (Withdrawn 2010) | International (Codex / JECFA / WHO) | JECFA | Lead | µg/kg-bw/week | withdrawn |
| 2011-01-01 | canada-sor-2011-17-toys-regulations | CA | Government of Canada | Lead, Total mercury, Antimony, Total arsenic, Cadmium | multiple mg/kg | active |
| 2011-01-01 | minnesota-ch347-cadmium-childrens-jewelry | US-MN | Minnesota Legislature | Cadmium | 75000 ppm | active |
| 2011-05-01 | EU Regulation 10/2011 — specific migration limits for metals (plastic food-contact, Annex II) | European Union | European Commission | Nickel, Aluminium, Antimony, Lead, Cadmium, Total mercury, Total arsenic, Cr-total | — | active |
| 2011-05-10 | Norma Oficial Mexicana NOM-242-SSA1-2009, Productos de la pesca frescos, refrigerados, congelados y procesados | Mexico | Secretaria de Salud | Total arsenic, Cadmium, Methylmercury, Lead, Tin | multiple mg/kg | active |
| 2011-06-08 | eu-rohs-2011-heavy-metals-homogeneous-materials | European Union | European Parliament and Council | Lead, Total mercury, Cadmium, Hexavalent chromium | multiple percent by weight | active |
| 2011-06-17 | mercosur-gmc-res-12-2011-inorganic-contaminants | MERCOSUR | MERCOSUR Grupo Mercado Comun | Total arsenic, Lead, Cadmium, Total mercury, Tin | multiple mg/kg; wine rows mg/L | active |
| 2011-08-01 | vietnam-qcvn-8-2-2011-heavy-metal-food-limits | VN | Vietnam Ministry of Health | Total arsenic, Cadmium, Lead, Total mercury, Methylmercury, Tin | multiple mg/kg or stated source unit | active |
| 2011-08-14 | US CPSIA — lead in children’s products: 100 ppm total lead (substrate), 90 ppm (paint and surface coatings) | United States (federal) | US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) | Lead | multiple ppm | enforced |
| 2012-01-01 | california-sb929-metal-containing-jewelry | United States — California | California Legislature | Lead, Cadmium | multiple percent by weight; ppm | active |
| 2012-01-01 | EU REACH Annex XVII entry 20 — organotin compounds in skin-contact and childcare articles | European Union | European Commission | Tin | — | active |
| 2012-01-10 | eu-reach-2011-494-cadmium-annex-xvii | European Union | European Commission | Cadmium | multiple percent by weight | active |
| 2012-05-01 | cuba-nc877-2012-wheat-flour-metal-contaminants | CU | Oficina Nacional de Normalizacion (NC) | Lead, Cadmium | multiple mg/kg | active |
| 2012-07-01 | eaeu-tr-cu-009-2011-cosmetic-toxic-elements | EAEU | Customs Union Commission | Total arsenic, Total mercury, Lead | multiple mg/kg | active |
| 2012-07-20 | Health Canada — Guidance on Heavy Metal Impurities in Cosmetics: Pb 10, As 3, Cd 3, Hg 1, Sb 5 ppm | CA | Health Canada | multiple (Pb, tAs, Cd, tHg, Sb) | multiple ppm | guidance |
| 2012-08-13 | mexico-nom-252-ssa1-2011-toy-school-article-metals | Mexico | Secretaría de Salud / COFEPRIS | Antimony, Total arsenic, Cadmium, Cr-total, Lead, Total mercury | multiple mg/kg | active |
| 2012-09-01 | ATSDR — Minimal Risk Levels for Cadmium | United States (federal) | ATSDR | Cadmium | 0.1 µg/kg-bw/day | in-force |
| 2012-12-01 | EFSA — Inorganic Mercury Tolerable Weekly Intake (4 µg/kg b.w./week) | European Union | EFSA | Inorganic mercury | 4 µg/kg-bw/week | in-force |
| 2012-12-01 | EFSA — Methylmercury Tolerable Weekly Intake (1.3 µg/kg b.w./week) | European Union | EFSA | Methylmercury | 1.3 µg/kg-bw/week | in-force |
| 2013-01-29 | ecuador-nte-inen-184-2013-canned-tuna | Ecuador | Instituto Ecuatoriano de Normalización | Total mercury | 1 mg/kg total mercury as Hg | active |
| 2013-05-01 | china-gb-28480-2012-adornment-harmful-elements | China | General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine / Standardization Administration of China | Nickel, Total arsenic, Hexavalent chromium, Total mercury, Lead, Cadmium, Antimony, Cr-total | multiple multiple | active |
| 2013-06-01 | china-gb-2762-2012-contaminants-superseded | China | Ministry of Health | Lead, Cadmium, Total mercury, Methylmercury, Total arsenic, Inorganic arsenic, Tin, Nickel, Chromium | multiple mg/kg; food-specific maximum levels | superseded |
| 2013-07-11 | EU Cosmetics Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 — prohibited-substance framework, no numeric heavy-metal maximum levels | European Union | European Parliament and Council (enforced by EU Member States) | multiple (Annex II prohibits Pb, Cd, As, Hg, Sb, Be, Cr and their compounds as ingredients) | — | enforced |
| 2013-07-20 | EU Toy Safety Directive 2009/48/EC — element migration limits (Annex II Part III) | European Union | European Commission | Lead, Cadmium, Hexavalent chromium, Total arsenic, Total mercury, Nickel, Aluminium, Tin, Antimony | — | active |
| 2014-02-24 | mexico-nom-186-2013-cacao-chocolate-contaminants | Mexico | COFEPRIS and Secretaría de Economía | Total arsenic, Lead | multiple mg/kg | active |
| 2014-04-30 | colombia-resolucion-4506-2013-contaminants | CO | Ministerio de Salud y Proteccion Social | Total arsenic, Total mercury, Lead, Cadmium, Tin | multiple mg/kg; mg/L | active |
| 2014-07-01 | connecticut-pa-10-113-cadmium-childrens-jewelry | US-CT | Connecticut General Assembly | Cadmium | 75000 percent by weight | active |
| 2015-05-01 | canada-natural-health-products-heavy-metal-limits-2015 | CA | Health Canada Natural and Non-prescription Health Products Directorate | Total arsenic, Cadmium, Lead, Total mercury, Antimony, Methylmercury | multiple ppm; daily dose values | active |
| 2015-05-01 | eu-reach-2014-301-chromium-vi-leather | European Union | European Commission | Hexavalent chromium | 3000 mg/kg | active |
| 2015-05-13 | eu-reach-2015-628-lead-mouthable-articles | European Union | European Commission | Lead | multiple percent by weight; ug/cm2 per hour release alternative | active |
| 2015-11-12 | india-fssai-2015-chromium-gelatin-amendment | IN | Food Safety and Standards Authority of India | Cr-total | multiple parts per million by weight | active |
| 2016-01-01 | eu-2015-1006-iAs-rice | European Union | European Commission | Inorganic arsenic | 0.2,0.25,0.3,0.1 mg/kg wet weight | superseded |
| 2016-03-01 | Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code - Schedule 19 - Maximum levels of contaminants and natural toxicants | Australia, New Zealand | Food Standards Australia New Zealand | Aluminium, Total arsenic, Inorganic arsenic, Cadmium, Lead, Total mercury, Tin | multiple mg/kg | in-force |
| 2016-05-01 | israel-moh-fcs-2016-heavy-metals-tin-food-guidelines | IL | Israel Ministry of Health - National Food Service | Lead, Cadmium, Total mercury, Total arsenic, Inorganic arsenic, Tin | multiple mg/kg | active |
| 2016-06-22 | canada-surface-coating-materials-heavy-metals-2016 | CA | Government of Canada / Health Canada | Lead, Total mercury | multiple mg/kg | active |
| 2016-07-01 | israel-imc-gmp-cannabis-heavy-metal-limits-2016 | IL | Israel Ministry of Health Medical Cannabis Unit | Cadmium, Lead, Total mercury, Total arsenic | multiple ppm | active |
| 2016-12-01 | china-cosmetics-safety-technical-standards-2015 | China | China National Medical Products Administration | Total mercury, Lead, Total arsenic, Cadmium | multiple mg/kg | active |
| 2017-01-01 | asean-health-supplement-contaminant-limits-2017 | ASEAN | ASEAN Traditional Medicines and Health Supplements Product Working Group | Lead, Total arsenic, Total mercury, Cadmium | multiple mg/kg or mg/L; ppm | draft-guidance |
| 2017-01-01 | germany-bvl-2017-technically-avoidable-heavy-metals-cosmetics | DE | German Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety | Lead, Cadmium, Total mercury, Total arsenic, Antimony | multiple mg/kg | active |
| 2017-01-01 | india-fssai-2016-heavy-metals-third-amendment | IN | Food Safety and Standards Authority of India | Lead, Total arsenic, Tin, Cadmium, Total mercury, Cr-total | multiple parts per million by weight; mg/L for natural mineral water | active |
| 2017-02-28 | pakistan-ps-3228-2017-skin-cream-heavy-metals | PK | Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority | Lead, Total mercury | multiple mg/kg or stated source unit | active |
| 2017-04-27 | taiwan-feed-import-phosphate-heavy-metal-limits-2017 | TW | Council of Agriculture, Executive Yuan | Lead, Total arsenic, Cadmium, Total mercury | multiple ppm | draft-guidance |
| 2017-05-01 | switzerland-vhk-817-022-15-metal-metalloid-limits | CH | Swiss Federal Department of Home Affairs (EDI) | Inorganic arsenic, Total arsenic, Lead, Cadmium, Cr-total, Nickel, Total mercury, Tin | multiple mg/kg or stated source unit | active |
| 2017-09-17 | china-gb-2762-2017-contaminants-superseded | China | National Health and Family Planning Commission; China Food and Drug Administration | Lead, Cadmium, Total mercury, Methylmercury, Total arsenic, Inorganic arsenic, Tin, Nickel, Chromium | multiple mg/kg; food-specific maximum levels | superseded |
| 2018-02-07 | eu-reg-2018-73-mercury-compounds-mrls | European Union | European Commission | Total mercury | 0.01 mg/kg as mercury | finalized |
| 2018-03-01 | us-epa-2018-drinking-water-standards-health-advisories | United States (federal) | U.S. Environmental Protection Agency | Antimony, Total arsenic, Cadmium, Cr-total, Lead, Aluminium | multiple mg/L | active |
| 2018-10-26 | California Proposition 65 — Nickel Listings (Cancer; Soluble Nickel Compounds Reproductive Toxicity) | United States — California | OEHHA | Nickel | listed-no-safe-harbor none | in-force |
| 2018-11-02 | canada-sor-2018-82-childrens-jewellery | CA | Government of Canada | Lead, Cadmium | multiple mg/kg | active |
| 2018-11-02 | canada-sor-2018-83-consumer-products-lead | CA | Government of Canada | Lead | multiple mg/kg | active |
| 2019-01-01 | bangladesh-bds-1382-skin-cream-heavy-metals | BD | Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution | Lead, Total mercury, Total arsenic | multiple ppm | active |
| 2019-02-20 | paraguay-decreto-1335-2019-mercosur-inorganic-contaminants | PY | Paraguay Ministry of Public Health and Social Welfare | Total arsenic, Lead, Cadmium, Total mercury, Tin | multiple mg/kg; wine rows mg/L | active |
| 2019-06-19 | asean-cosmetics-contaminants-guideline-v3-2019 | ASEAN, TH | ASEAN Cosmetic Scientific Body | Total mercury, Lead, Total arsenic, Cadmium | multiple mg/kg or mg/L (ppm) | active |
| 2019-07-14 | eu-fertilising-products-heavy-metal-limits-2019 | European Union | European Parliament and Council of the European Union | Cadmium, Hexavalent chromium, Total mercury, Nickel, Lead, Inorganic arsenic, Total arsenic | multiple mg/kg dry matter | active |
2020s
| Effective | Title | Jurisdiction | Agency | Metals | Limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-07-24 | massachusetts-cannabis-heavy-metal-protocol-2020 | US-MA | Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission | Lead, Total arsenic, Cadmium, Total mercury | multiple ug/kg; ppb | active |
| 2020-08-06 | FDA Closer to Zero — 100 ppb Inorganic Arsenic Action Level for Infant Rice Cereal | United States (federal) | FDA | Inorganic arsenic | 100 ppb | finalized |
| 2020-09-24 | EFSA — Nickel Tolerable Daily Intake (13 µg/kg b.w./day) | European Union | EFSA | Nickel | 13 µg/kg-bw/day | in-force |
| 2020-11-01 | eu-reach-2018-1513-cmr-textiles | European Union | European Commission | Cadmium, Hexavalent chromium, Total arsenic, Lead | multiple mg/kg after extraction | active |
| 2020-11-05 | nevada-cannabis-heavy-metal-action-levels-2020 | US-NV | Nevada Cannabis Compliance Board | Total arsenic, Cadmium, Lead, Total mercury | multiple ppm | active |
| 2020-11-16 | thailand-moph-notification-414-2020-contaminants-food | TH | Thailand Ministry of Public Health | Cadmium, Tin, Lead, Methylmercury, Total mercury, Inorganic arsenic, Total arsenic | multiple mg/kg | active |
| 2020-12-15 | india-cosmetics-rules-2020-heavy-metal-limits | IN | Ministry of Health and Family Welfare | Lead, Total mercury | multiple ppm | active |
| 2020-12-15 | india-cosmetics-rules-2020-heavy-metals | IN | Central Drugs Standard Control Organization, India | Lead, Total arsenic, Total mercury | multiple ppm; percent | active |
| 2021-01-01 | eac-deas-425-2-2021-baby-powder-heavy-metals | EAC | East African Community | Lead, Total arsenic, Total mercury | multiple mg/kg | draft-guidance |
| 2021-01-01 | kenya-ks-2937-2021-cosmetic-heavy-metals | KE | Kenya Bureau of Standards | Lead, Total arsenic, Total mercury | multiple mg/kg | active |
| 2021-01-12 | eu-2020-2184-drinking-water | European Union | European Union | Antimony, Total arsenic, Cadmium, Cr-total, Lead, Total mercury, Nickel, Aluminium | multiple µg/l | active |
| 2021-04-01 | FDA Closer to Zero — Program Overview | United States (federal) | FDA | Lead, Cadmium, Inorganic arsenic, Total mercury | — | — |
| 2021-07-01 | gso-193-2021-contaminants-toxins-food-feed | GSO | GCC Standardization Organization | Lead, Cadmium, Inorganic arsenic, Total arsenic, Total mercury, Methylmercury, Tin | multiple multiple | active |
| 2021-08-30 | EU Regulation 2021/1317 - Lead maximum level for cereals and pulses | European Union | European Commission | Lead | 0.2 mg/kg wet weight | superseded |
| 2021-08-31 | EU Regulation 2021/1323 - Cadmium maximum levels for cereals | European Union | European Commission | Cadmium | multiple mg/kg wet weight | superseded |
| 2021-10-01 | japan-pet-food-heavy-metal-standards-2021 | JP | Food and Agricultural Materials Inspection Center | Cadmium, Lead, Inorganic arsenic | multiple ug/g | active |
| 2021-12-01 | hong-kong-mercury-control-ordinance-cosmetics | HK | Hong Kong Special Administrative Region | Total mercury | multiple ppm | active |
| 2022-01-01 | bosnia-pravilnik-mdk-contaminants-2022 | BA | Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina | Lead, Cadmium, Total mercury, Tin, Inorganic arsenic | multiple mg/kg vlažne mase | active |
| 2022-01-01 | china-gb14930-1-detergent-arsenic-limits-2022 | China | National Health Commission and State Administration for Market Regulation | Total arsenic | multiple mg/kg | active |
| 2022-01-01 | colorado-marijuana-heavy-metal-limits-2022 | US-CO | Colorado Marijuana Enforcement Division | Lead, Total arsenic, Cadmium, Total mercury | multiple ppm | active |
| 2022-01-01 | who2022-drinking-water-guidelines | WHO | World Health Organization | Antimony, Total arsenic, Cadmium, Cr-total, Lead, Nickel | multiple mg/l | active |
| 2022-01-04 | eu-reach-2020-2081-tattoo-ink-metal-limits | European Union | European Commission | Total mercury, Nickel, Antimony, Total arsenic, Cadmium, Hexavalent chromium, Lead | multiple percent by weight | active |
| 2022-02-01 | china-gb-21027-2020-student-articles-safety | China | State Administration for Market Regulation / Standardization Administration of China | Antimony, Total arsenic, Cadmium, Cr-total, Lead, Total mercury | multiple mg/kg | active |
| 2022-03-11 | brazil-anvisa-rdc-628-2022-cosmetic-colorant-metals | BR | ANVISA | Lead | multiple mg/kg or stated source unit | active |
| 2022-05-03 | eu-reg-2022-617-mercury-fish | European Union | European Commission | Total mercury | 0.3,0.5,1,0.1 mg/kg ww | finalized |
| 2022-07-01 | brazil-anvisa-rdc-722-2022 | BR | Agência Nacional de Vigilância Sanitária | Lead, Cadmium, Total mercury, Inorganic arsenic, Total arsenic, Tin | multiple defined in IN 160/2022 | active |
| 2022-08-01 | malaysia-npra-cosmetics-heavy-metal-limits-2022 | MY | Malaysia National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency | Total mercury, Lead, Total arsenic, Cadmium | multiple ppm | active |
| 2022-10-20 | morocco-bo-7136-2022-contaminant-maximum-levels | MA | Ministry of Agriculture, Maritime Fisheries, Rural Development and Water and Forests; Ministry of Health and Social Protection | Lead, Cadmium, Total mercury, Tin, Inorganic arsenic, Total arsenic | multiple mg/kg | active |
| 2023-01-01 | eac-deas-425-1-2023-body-face-powder-heavy-metals | EAC | East African Community | Lead, Total arsenic, Total mercury | multiple mg/kg | draft-guidance |
| 2023-04-01 | fda-21cfr-73-color-additive-metal-specifications | United States (federal) | US Food and Drug Administration | Total arsenic, Lead, Total mercury, Cadmium, Cr-total, Nickel, Antimony, Tin, Aluminium | multiple mg/kg or stated source unit | active |
| 2023-04-01 | fda-21cfr-74-certified-color-additive-metal-specifications | United States (federal) | US Food and Drug Administration | Total arsenic, Lead, Total mercury, Cadmium, Cr-total | multiple mg/kg or stated source unit | active |
| 2023-06-01 | FDA — 10 ppb Inorganic Arsenic Action Level for Apple Juice | United States (federal) | FDA | Inorganic arsenic | 10 ppb | finalized |
| 2023-06-30 | china-gb-2762-2022-contaminants | China | National Health Commission; State Administration for Market Regulation | Lead, Cadmium, Total mercury, Methylmercury, Total arsenic, Inorganic arsenic, Tin, Nickel, Chromium | multiple mg/kg; food-specific maximum levels | active |
| 2023-07-01 | minnesota-325e-3892-lead-cadmium-consumer-products | US-MN | Minnesota Pollution Control Agency / Minnesota Revisor of Statutes | Lead, Cadmium | multiple mg/kg or stated source unit | active |
| 2023-07-29 | guyana-fisheries-products-regulations-2023-environmental-contaminants | GY | Veterinary Public Health Unit, Guyana Ministry of Health | Lead, Cadmium, Total mercury, Total arsenic | multiple ppm and ppb | active |
| 2023-08-17 | eu-batteries-2023-heavy-metal-restrictions | European Union | European Parliament and Council | Total mercury, Cadmium, Lead | multiple percent by weight | active |
| 2023-11-05 | turkey-food-codex-contaminants-2023-lead-raw-milk | Turkey | Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry | Lead | 0.02 mg/kg wet weight | in-force |
| 2024-01-01 | canada-cfia-fertilizer-growing-media-heavy-metal-standards | CA | Canadian Food Inspection Agency | Total arsenic, Cadmium, Cr-total, Total mercury, Nickel, Lead | multiple mg/kg wet weight | active |
| 2024-01-01 | china-pet-food-heavy-metal-limits-draft | China | Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs | Cadmium, Cr-total, Total mercury, Lead, Total arsenic, Inorganic arsenic | multiple mg/kg | draft-guidance |
| 2024-01-01 | korea-mfds-2024-29-food-contact-heavy-metals | KR | Republic of Korea Ministry of Food and Drug Safety | Lead, Antimony | multiple percent by weight | active |
| 2024-02-07 | south-korea-mfds-notice-2024-9-cosmetic-trace-metals | KR | Republic of Korea Ministry of Food and Drug Safety | Lead, Nickel, Total arsenic, Total mercury, Antimony, Cadmium | multiple micrograms per gram | active |
| 2024-03-22 | Commission Recommendation (EU) 2024/907 on the monitoring of nickel in food | European Union | European Commission | Nickel | monitoring-recommendation none | in-force |
| 2024-04-01 | us-fda-21cfr165-110-bottled-water-2024 | United States (federal) | U.S. Food and Drug Administration | Total arsenic, Antimony, Cadmium, Cr-total, Lead, Total mercury, Nickel, Aluminium | multiple multiple | active |
| 2024-07-01 | singapore-hsa-2024-cosmetic-heavy-metal-advisory | SG | Singapore Health Sciences Authority | Total arsenic, Cadmium, Lead, Total mercury | multiple ppm | active |
| 2024-07-30 | Commission Regulation (EU) 2024/1987 — maximum levels of nickel in certain foodstuffs | European Union | European Commission | Nickel | 0.10–40 mg/kg | in-force |
| 2024-10-01 | California — Maximum Contaminant Level for Hexavalent Chromium in Drinking Water | United States — California | SWRCB | Hexavalent chromium | 10 ppb | in-force |
| 2024-10-01 | california-swrcb-2024-inorganic-chemical-mcls | United States — California | California State Water Resources Control Board | Aluminium, Antimony, Total arsenic, Cadmium, Hexavalent chromium, Cr-total, Total mercury, Nickel | multiple mg/kg or stated source unit | active |
| 2024-11-01 | singapore-hsa-health-supplement-heavy-metal-limits-2024 | SG | Singapore Health Sciences Authority | Total arsenic, Cadmium, Lead, Total mercury | multiple parts per million | active |
| 2025-01-01 | California Prop 65 / AB 2762 — exposure-based warnings and intentionally-added mercury prohibition; no numeric heavy-metal concentration limit for cosmetics | United States — California | OEHHA (Proposition 65); State of California (AB 2762, Health and Safety Code) | multiple (Prop 65: Pb, Cd, and others as exposure thresholds; AB 2762: intentionally-added Hg prohibition) | — | enforced |
| 2025-01-01 | EPA IRIS — Inorganic Arsenic Toxicological Review (January 2025) | United States (federal) | EPA | Inorganic arsenic | pending-extraction | finalized-2025 |
| 2025-01-01 | korea-mfds-2025-63-cosmetics-safety-standards | KR | Republic of Korea Ministry of Food and Drug Safety | Lead, Nickel, Total arsenic, Total mercury, Antimony, Cadmium | multiple microgram/g | active |
| 2025-01-01 | taiwan-prohibited-ingredients-2024-cosmetic-heavy-metal-residuals | TW | Taiwan Ministry of Health and Welfare | Total mercury, Total arsenic, Cadmium, Lead | multiple ppm | active |
| 2025-01-01 | washington-tfca-toothpaste-pb-1000ppb | United States — Washington State | Washington State Department of Ecology | Lead | 1000 ppb | enforced |
| 2025-02-01 | maryland-cannabis-heavy-metal-action-limits-2025 | US-MD | Maryland Cannabis Administration | Lead, Total arsenic, Total mercury, Cadmium, Cr-total | multiple ppm | active |
| 2025-02-01 | sri-lanka-dsls-187-2025-skin-powder-heavy-metals | LK | Sri Lanka Standards Institution | Lead, Total arsenic, Cadmium, Total mercury | multiple mg/kg | draft-guidance |
| 2025-06-01 | australia-nhmrc-adwg-6-v4-drinking-water | Australia | National Health and Medical Research Council | Aluminium, Antimony, Total arsenic, Cadmium, Hexavalent chromium, Lead, Total mercury, Nickel | multiple mg/L | active |
| 2025-09-03 | indonesia-bpom-16-2024-cosmetic-contaminant-limits | ID | Indonesia BPOM | Total mercury, Lead, Total arsenic, Cadmium | multiple mg/kg or mg/L (bpj/ppm) | active |
| 2025-10-08 | eu-2025-1891-inorganic-arsenic-fish-seafood | European Union | European Commission | Inorganic arsenic, Total arsenic | multiple mg/kg | active |
| 2025-12-01 | canada-gdwq-summary-tables-2025 | CA | Health Canada | Aluminium, Antimony, Total arsenic, Cadmium, Cr-total, Lead, Total mercury | multiple mg/L | active |
| 2026-01-01 | california-dcc-2026-cannabis-heavy-metals-testing | United States — California | California Department of Cannabis Control | Cadmium, Lead, Total arsenic, Total mercury | multiple mg/kg or stated source unit | active |
| 2026-01-01 | new-zealand-cosmetic-products-group-standard-heavy-metals | New Zealand | New Zealand Environmental Protection Authority | Total arsenic, Lead, Total mercury | multiple ppm; percent | active |
| 2026-01-30 | singapore-food-regulations-heavy-metals-2026 | SG | Singapore Food Agency | Total arsenic, Inorganic arsenic, Lead, Total mercury, Tin, Cadmium, Antimony | multiple ppm | active |
| 2026-07-13 | australia-customs-prohibited-imports-heavy-metal-imports | Australia | Office of Parliamentary Counsel, Australia | Lead, Total arsenic, Antimony, Cadmium, Total mercury, Cr-total | multiple mg/kg; percent by weight | active |
Undated regulations (ingest gap)
The following regulation pages exist in the index but do not yet carry an effective_date in their frontmatter. They are tracked here so the gap is visible.
| Title | Jurisdiction | Agency | Metals | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California Proposition 65 — Inorganic Arsenic Compounds Listing | United States — California | OEHHA | Inorganic arsenic | in-force |
| California Proposition 65 — Lead and Lead Compounds Listing | United States — California | OEHHA | Lead | in-force |
| Codex Alimentarius — Maximum Levels for Cadmium in Food | International (Codex / JECFA / WHO) | Codex Alimentarius Commission | Cadmium | partial-ingest |
| Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/915 cadmium maximum levels | European Union | European Commission | Cadmium | maximum levels |
| EU inorganic arsenic maximum level for non-alcoholic rice-based drinks | European Union | European Commission | — | maximum level |
| EU Nickel Directive 94/27/EC | European Union | European Commission | Nickel | historical-as-described-in-source |
| EU Regulation 2023/915 — Lead Maximum Levels for Infant and Young-Child Foods | European Union | European Commission | Lead | in-force |
| EU Regulation 2023/915 maximum levels for contaminants in food | European Union | European Commission | Lead, Cadmium, Total mercury, Inorganic arsenic, Total arsenic, Tin, Nickel | maximum levels |
| FDA 2022 Draft — Lead Action Levels for Juice | United States (federal) | FDA | Lead | draft-not-for-implementation |
| FDA 2025 Lead Action Levels for Processed Food Intended for Babies and Young Children | United States (federal) | FDA | Lead | final guidance action level |
| FDA Closer to Zero — 10 ppb Lead Action Level for Processed Baby Food (Fruits, Non-Root Vegetables, Mixtures, Yogurts, Custards/Puddings, Single-Ingredient Meats) | United States (federal) | FDA | Lead | finalized |
| FDA Closer to Zero — 20 ppb Lead Action Level for Dry Infant Cereals | United States (federal) | FDA | Lead | finalized |
| FDA Closer to Zero — 20 ppb Lead Action Level for Single-Ingredient Root Vegetables (Baby Food) | United States (federal) | FDA | Lead | finalized |
| FDA Juice HACCP — 50 ppb Lead Guidance Context for Juice | United States (federal) | FDA | Lead | current-guidance-context |
| JECFA inorganic arsenic BMDL₀.₅ (lower-limit benchmark dose) | International (Codex / JECFA / WHO) | JECFA (FAO/WHO Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives) | Inorganic arsenic | stub |
| korea-mfds-food-code-heavy-metals | KR | Korea Food and Drug Administration / Ministry of Food and Drug Safety | Lead, Cadmium, Total mercury, Methylmercury | source-snapshot |
| philippines-pns-bafs-194-2017-contaminants-food-feed | PH | Philippines Bureau of Agriculture and Fisheries Standards | Inorganic arsenic, Cadmium, Lead, Methylmercury | active |
| trinidad-tobago-food-drugs-metal-limits-2007 | TT | Trinidad and Tobago Ministry of Legal Affairs | Total arsenic, Lead, Cadmium, Total mercury, Methylmercury | active |
| uruguay-rbn-5th-edition-heavy-metal-limits | UY | Uruguay Ministerio de Salud Publica | Antimony, Total arsenic, Lead, Tin, Total mercury, Cadmium | active |
| US FDA cosmetics heavy-metal policy — draft lead guidance (10 ppm) and the binding mercury trace rule (21 CFR 700.13, <1 ppm) | United States (federal) | US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) | Pb; tHg | draft-guidance (Pb, 10 ppm, not for implementation); enforced (Hg, 21 CFR 700.13) |
How to read this surface
A regulation’s appearance in the timeline does not imply endorsement by the Heavy Metal Index. The wiki reports what regulators have published; the Heavy Metal Tested & Certified certification program sets its own thresholds, which can be tighter than the regulatory floor by design. See wiki/HMTc separation policy for the rationale.
For the cross-jurisdiction matrix view, see Regulations by jurisdiction.
Update history
This page is regenerated from upstream evidence records on every build, so its version history is the history of that upstream data rather than of hand edits. The full commit record lives in git.