Which rules apply to playdough
- Heavy metals per color, preservative documentation, salt and formulation review, small parts on tools.
- 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
Lead and heavy metals per color, preservative efficacy, formulation review for the claimed age.
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 does playdough need heavy-metal testing?
Colorants and the base source can carry lead and cadmium.
Do gluten-free or edible doughs change anything?
Edible-adjacent claims pull food-safety review into scope.
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