Which rules apply to play food
- Play food is a toy: small-parts review by age grade (cutting sets with magnetic pieces are classic small-parts cases), lead and phthalate testing on plastics and paints, and design review so food shapes do not create choking hazards for under-3 grading.
- CPSIA section 101 total lead content in accessible substrate materials.
- 16 CFR part 1303 lead in paint and surface coatings where painted or coated.
- CPSIA section 103 tracking labels: manufacturer, location, and date of manufacture on product and packaging.
The testing and certification path
Testing covers the small-parts cylinder on every piece for under-3 grades, lead and phthalates in painted and plasticized items, and magnet security on cutting sets — magnets are a dedicated toy-standard concern with their own requirements.
Book testing at a laboratory that is CPSC-accepted for each rule, issue the CPC in your own name citing the rules your report supports, and keep the certificate with its test report for at least five years. Marketplaces ask for the pair, not the certificate alone.
Questions people ask
Why are cutting sets the riskiest play food?
Two-piece velcro-cut food plus magnets brings small-parts and magnet requirements together. Magnets that separate are an ingestion hazard with dedicated toy-standard clauses.
Do wooden play foods need coating tests?
Painted or dyed wooden foods test the coating for lead; natural unfinished wood tests the substrate. Both are quick line items — book them together.
Related guides
Small parts testing: 16 CFR Part 1501
16 CFR Part 1501 bans small parts in toys for children under 3. How the small parts cylinder test works, which…
CPC certificates for wooden toys
Wooden toys need CPC certification covering the toy standard, lead in paint and substrate, and small parts. Wh…
How to choose the right age grade for your toy
Age grading drives toy testing, small parts rules, and warnings. How the CPSC Age Determination Guidelines wor…