PRODUCT SAFETY

More U.S. Government Agencies Announce Expected Regulatory Actions for the Next Year

10 December 2019

The various agencies that make up the U.S. federal government recently issued their respective semi-annual regulatory agendas, which include a number of actions of potential interest to Hong Kong and mainland Chinese exporters. Some of the most significant actions announced by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Food and Drug Administration, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the U.S. State Department are summarised below. More

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Swedish Chemicals Agency Finds Hexavalent Chromium in Leather Products

06 December 2019

On 13 November 2019, the Swedish Chemicals Agency (SCA) published the results of an investigation into hazardous substances contained in common leather products. The investigation covered a total of 70 products over five categories: gloves, watchstraps, bracelets, clogs and mobile phone covers. Eight products (11%) were found to contain prohibited substances. More

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California Seeks Input on Use of PFAS in Textiles, Various Chemicals in Food Packaging

03 December 2019

California is seeking input on the use of PFAS substances in textile and leather products, as well as PFAS, BPA and ortho-phthalates in food packaging, as part of a process that could lead to the listing of these product-chemical combinations as priority products under the Safer Consumer Products regulations. More

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Forum on Crib Bumpers to Be Held 22 January

03 December 2019

The Consumer Product Safety Commission will hold a public forum on crib bumpers on 22 January. Individuals interested in presenting information at the forum should submit a summary of their presentation by 6 January, while written comments may be submitted by 25 February. More

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Pressure Increases for EU to Adopt Colour-coded Nutrition Food Labels

03 December 2019

The European Union is increasingly facing calls to introduce the so-called Nutri-Score label for food packaging. The Nutri-Score label was first introduced in France and sets out a five-letter colour-coded overview of whether the product in question contains too much sugar, salt or unsaturated fats; red indicates a high content of such unhealthy substance while green indicates low levels. More

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EU Adopts Two New Regulations Regulating the Use of Certain Substances in Cosmetic Products

29 November 2019

On 27 November 2019, two new Regulations entered into force, amending the EU’s framework legislation, Regulation 1223/2009 on cosmetic products. The new legislation was adopted pursuant to new opinions presented by the EU’s expert committee, the Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS). Regulation 1223/2009 is the primary regulatory framework for finished cosmetic products which are placed on the EU market. More

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New EU Law Restricts Formaldehyde in Different Types of Material Used in Toys

28 November 2019

On 20 November 2019, the Official Journal published Commission Directive 2019/1929, amending a specific section of the EU’s framework law, Directive 2009/48/EC on the safety of toys. The newly published Directive adopts specific limit values as regards formaldehyde used in a number of different materials in toys. More

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FDA Warns Companies over Illegal Sales of CBD Products

28 November 2019

The Food and Drug Administration has issued warning letters to 15 companies for selling products containing cannabidiol (CBD) in ways that violate the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. More

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EPA Mulling Reporting Requirements for PFAS Chemicals

28 November 2019

The EPA will soon seek public input on potentially adding certain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) to the list of chemicals companies are required to report to the agency as part of the Toxics Release Inventory. More

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Revised Limits for Aluminium in Toys Adopted for Application EU-wide

26 November 2019

On 19 November 2019, the Official Journal of the EU published Commission Directive 2019/1922 which amends the EU’s framework toy safety law, Directive 2009/48/EC, as regards aluminium. Hong Kong sellers of toys to EU customers may be aware that Directive 2009/48/EC already lays down migration limits for aluminium from toys or components of toys. More

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