Assembly Bill No. 1200 requires cookware being sold in the state of California to communicate the presence of any intentionally added substances on the DTSC Candidate Chemicals List in food contacting materials as well as product handles. Communication requirements include:

• Website listing all present chemicals, the name of the corresponding authoritative lists, and a link to the authoritative lists
• Product Label listing all present chemicals as well as a QR code that links to the company’s AB1200 website

Cookware means durable houseware items that are used in homes and restaurants to prepare, dispense, or store food, foodstuffs, or beverages. Examples include appliances, pots, pans, skillets, grills, baking sheets, refrigerators, bowls, and cooking utensils.

The California Transparency in Supply Chains Act requires that retailers and manufacturers doing business in California provide consumers with information regarding their efforts to eradicate slavery and human trafficking from their direct supply chains. The law applies to any company doing business in California that has annual worldwide gross receipts of more than $100 million and that identifies itself as a retail seller or manufacturer on its California tax return. Companies subject to the Act must post disclosures on their websites outlining their verification, audits, certification, internal accountability, and training. 

The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) sets testing and documentation requirements, and sets acceptable levels of several substances, namely lead and the phthalates DEHP, DBP, and BBP. The law imposes legal requirements on manufacturers of apparel, shoes, personal care products, accessories and jewellery, home furnishings, bedding, toys, electronics and video games, books, school supplies, educational materials and science kits. 

The Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) applies to U.S. federal contracts and subcontracts, and includes a provision that bans the use of human trafficking and forced labour in supply chains. Contractors and subcontractors who source services and/or supplies from abroad as part of U.S. contracts are prohibited from denying an employee access to their identity or immigration documents, using misleading practices to recruit workers, charging recruitment fees, failing to provide written contracts of employment, and more. 

Proposition 65, also known as the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986  , is designed to protect the public from exposure to toxic chemicals in their drinking water, the environment, and in the products they purchase. Proposition 65 requires the state of California to publish a list of chemicals toxic to reproductive health, or known to cause cancer and birth defects, that is updated annually. Businesses operating or selling in California must notify the public about the presence of significant amounts of these chemicals in their homes, workplaces, and in the products they purchase. 

Section 1502 of the Dodd Frank – In 2010, the U.S. passed Section 1502 of the Dodd Frank Act,   which requires U.S. publicly-listed companies to check their supply chains for conflict minerals (tin, tungsten, tantalum and gold) and if they might originate in the Democratic Republic of Congo. They must take steps to address any risks they find and report on their efforts every year to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Companies aren’t encouraged to stop sourcing from this region, but they are required to show they are working with due diligence to make sure they’re not funding armed groups or human rights abuses. 

Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) – The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requires companies to report, test, and restrict certain chemical substances and/or mixtures, including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs  ), asbestos, radon and lead-based paint. Some substances are excluded from TSCA, including, among others, food, drugs, cosmetics and pesticides. 

U.S. Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act – The 2015 U.S. Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act   seeks to prevent goods produced using forced labour from being imported into the United States. It requires companies conduct supply chain due diligence to prove to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) authorities their products were not made using forced labour.