Health Canada's Lead Risk Reduction Strategy for Consumer Products

Fact Sheet
November 2010

News Release: Harper Government Takes Action to Protect Children from Lead Exposure

The intent of the Lead Risk Reduction Strategy for Consumer Products is to reduce lead exposure risks to children by introducing lead content limits in four categories of consumer products to which children are most likely to be exposed.

Group 1: Products Whose Normal Pattern of Use Involves Mouth Contact

The Consumer Products Containing Lead (Contact with Mouth) Regulations were announced on November 29, 2010. These regulations restrict the total lead content to 90 mg/kg in products intended for use in play or learning by children under three years of age and all children's crayons, chalks, modelling clays, mouthpieces of musical instruments, and sports mouthpieces.

For more information on these regulations, please visit Health Canada's website.

Group 2: Children's Products Not Included in Group 1

This regulatory initiative proposes a limit of 90 mg/kg total lead for accessible components of:

1. products intended for play and learning for children aged 3-13;
2. child care articles; and
3. clothing and accessories for children under the age of 14 years.

Before this initiative enters the formal regulatory process, a consultation document on the proposal will be distributed for stakeholder input during the first half of 2011. This consultation will help to identify and resolve issues early on in the regulatory process in order to facilitate the development of effective regulations.

Group 3: Foodware Products

This group includes all products intended for preparing, serving or storing food, other than those already regulated for lead content, such as kettles and glazed ceramics and glassware. Pre-publication consultation on proposed foodware regulations will be initiated after the Group 2 consultations have been completed.

Group 4: Products Intended to be Burned or Melted in Enclosed Spaces

Candles with lead wick cores are the only Group 4 products which Health Canada has found to present a significant lead exposure risk. Proposed Candles Regulations were originally pre-published in 2003, but stakeholder concerns regarding the precautionary labelling requirements warranted further discussion and revisions. No concerns were raised on the lead limit. The latest proposed Candles Regulations are expected to be pre-published for stakeholder comment in the next few months, and will re-introduce a total lead limit of 600 mg/kg for all components of candles.