CEPRA for Chemicals

Consulting detergents and cleaning products

CEPRA offers consultancy services relating to the market introduction of detergent products pursuant to Regulation (EC) No. 648/2004

  • Labeling of detergent products
  • Safety data sheets
  • Technical data sheet
  • Notification of Hazardous Prepared Archives
  • Chemical analysis for verification of impurities (phosphates)
  • Surfactant Bidegradability Test

The Regulation provides information on the marketing of detergents and surfactants for detergents.

“Detergent” means any substance or preparation containing soaps and/or other surfactants intended for washing and cleaning processes.

Detergents may be in any form (liquid, powder, paste, bar, cake, moulded piece, shape, etc.) and marketed for or used in household, or institutional or industrial purposes.

“Surfactant” means any organic substance and/or preparation used in detergents, which has surface-active properties.

Detergents to be placed on the market must comply with certain characteristics:

1) Surfactants must meet the criteria of “complete aerobic biodegradation” of Annex III, if they do not meet these criteria they must satisfy the “primary biodegradability” of Annex II.

2) Detergents must comply with the limitations on the content of phosphates and other phosphorus compounds as being inflicted in Annex VIbis.

3) Manufacturers must keep available:

  • Information on one or more test results set out in Annex III
  • For surfactants which have failed the tests described in Annex III and for which a derogation has been submitted: a technical dossier on the test results as set out in Annex II and IV
  • A data sheet with a list of all ingredients as set out in Annex VIIC

4) Labeling must comply with this Regulation and with the CLP Regulation.

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