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Product Library · Last updated 2026-05-21

Crayons

Crayons and children's drawing paper on a table

Every piece of advice below comes from official tests, consumer test reports, or publicly available data from international food-safety bodies. Click the links to check the original sources.

How to tell if this affects your family

  • If crayons don't carry an international safety mark — such as EN 71-3 (EU) or ASTM D-4236 (US) — parents should take extra care.[1][2]
  • Some crayons have been found to contain heavy metals such as lead and cadmium. If a child puts them in their mouth or handles them for long periods, there may be a health risk.[3][4]
  • Research has shown that some crayons even contain polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) — another reason for parents to be careful.[5]

What you can do today

  • If your child tends to put crayons in their mouth, keep a close eye on them to prevent accidental ingestion of harmful substances.[3][4]
  • Regularly check your child's crayons and other art supplies for damage or colour transfer. Throw out anything that looks worn.[4]
  • After using crayons, always wash your child's hands — especially before eating — to avoid any chance of chemical ingestion.[4]

What to look for next time you shop

  • When choosing crayons, look for packaging that confirms compliance with international safety standards — the EU toy safety standard EN 71-3 or the US standard ASTM D-4236.[2][1][6]
  • Choose reputable brands — they tend to hold their products to higher safety standards and actively work to improve their formulas.[4][6]
  • Look for products that specify they are free from heavy metals or harmful substances — for example, wording like "lead-free" — to reduce potential risks.[4][3]

Reference standards

  • US CPSC lead limit for children's products: 100 ppm — The US CPSC sets a maximum lead content of 100 ppm for children's products (toys, children's clothing, infant items, etc.), in effect since 2011. Official source
  • Hong Kong Toys and Children's Products Safety Ordinance (Cap. 424) — Hong Kong has mandatory safety standards for toys and children's products for children under 36 months, covering heavy metals, plasticisers, mechanical/physical properties, and flame retardancy. Official source

Sources

Every piece of advice above corresponds to one or more of the sources below. Any parent can click through to check the original.

  1. [1] EU Safety Gate · joint-research-centre.ec.europa.eu/system/files/2013-05/eur24094en.pdf
  2. [2] Consumer Council · consumer.org.hk/en/advocacy/consultation-papers/consumer-council-s-submission-on-the-updates-to-safety-standards-for-children-s-products-under-the-toys-and-children-s-products-safety-ordinance_Dec2025
  3. [3] U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission Recalls · cpsc.gov/Recalls/1994/cpsc-announces-recalls-of-imported-crayons-because-of-lead-poisoning-hazard
  4. [4] Consumer Council · consumer.org.hk/tc/article/535-children-art-material/535-art-result
  5. [5] Consumer Council · consumer.org.hk/en/press-release/535-children-art-material
  6. [6] U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission Recalls · cpsc.gov/Newsroom/News-Releases/2000/CPSC-Releases-Test-Results-on-Crayons

Want to see the full test results?

This month's feature article breaks down the complete brand list from the Consumer Council's 2020 test of 77 crunchy snacks.

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