China Consults on the Safety and Technical Standards for Cleaning Products

On August 28, 2023, China notified WTO of a draft national standard titled Safety and Technical Standards for Cleaning Products. This mandatory standard is currently open for comments until October 27, 2023.¹ Upon its approval, the existing standard GB/T 26396—2011 Technical Specification for Safety of Soaps and Detergents will be replaced. Stakeholders will be given a 12-month transitional period to ensure compliance with the new standard.

Application Scope

The standard applies to cleaning products that are manufactured and sold (including imported) within the territory of China, excluding cosmetics, disinfection products, and food detergents. However, it does not apply to those used in the manufacturing of aerospace industry, nuclear industry, military industry, and semiconductor (including integrated circuits).

According to the standard, cleaning product is defined as the substance or preparation containing soap or surfactants that is specifically marketed to fulfil the cleaning requirements of households, individuals, public institutions, and/or industries.

Key Requirements

Under normal, reasonable, and foreseeable conditions of use, cleaning products should not pose any harm to human health, animal welfare, and plant safety. Moreover, the post-use emissions of cleaning products into the environment should be maintained within acceptable limits. To ensure these objectives, the standard establishes detailed requirements regarding the ingredient use, product testing, and product labelling.

1. Substance use

As required by the standard, substances used in the preparation of cleaning products should meet the following requirements:

a. The use of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) included in Annexes to the Stockholm Convention is strictly prohibited.

b. Substances that can be used in cleaning products include:

1) Substances that are permitted for use in accordance with the GB 14930.1 National Food Safety Standard for Detergents;

2) Substances that have been officially approved for use in cosmetics;

3) Substances that have undergone safety assessments following the GB/T 41828 Guidelines for Human Health Risk Assessment of Ingredients of Washing Products, and are categorized as either low-hazard substances, or medium-high hazard substances confirmed to pose an acceptable level of risk by additional exposure-based assessments;

c. The use of fragrances should adhere to the requirements specified in the GB/T 22731 Fragrance Compound;

d. The use of prohibited and restricted substances should meet the outlined conditions.

Substance Type	Substance Name	Conditions
Prohibited substances	Alkylphenol ethoxylates (APEOs)	These substances are prohibited for use in the following purposes. When introduced through other raw materials, the mass concentration should be less than 0.1%. a. Household and personal cleaning; b. Cleaning of industrial and public facilities, with the following exceptions: 1) Controlled closed dry-cleaning systems where the washing liquid is recycled or incinerated, 2) Cleaning systems with special treatment where the washing liquid is recycled or incinerated.
	Branched sodium alkylbenzene sulfonates
	Didecyldimethylammonium chloride (DDAC)
	Perboric acid
	Alkyl halides (Chloroform, carbon tetrachloride, 1,1,2-Trichloroethane, 1,1,2,2-Tetrachloroethane, 1,1,2,2 Tetrachloroethane, 1-Chloropentane, 1,1-Dichloroethene, 1,1,1-trichloroethane)	a. The use of these substances is prohibited in volatile solvents used in surface cleaning or textile cleaning agents sold to the public. When introduced through other raw materials, the mass concentration should be less than 0.1%. b. For industrial cleaning products that comply with regulations and contain these substances with a mass concentration equal to or greater than 0.1%, it is mandatory to have an indelible, easily legible, and clearly visible statement of "Only for industrial facilities" labelled on the packaging.
	Chloroethene	The use of this substance as a propellant in aerosol products is prohibited.
	Diglycol	The use of this substance is prohibited. When introduced through other raw materials, the mass concentration should be less than 0.1%.
Restricted substance	Fluorescent whitening agent	Varieties outside the scope specified in QB/T 2953 Fluorescent Fluorescent Agents for Detergents are prohibited for use.

Additionally, the surfactants used in cleaning products should be verified as degradable, with a primary biodegradability of not less than 90%, or an ultimate aerobic biodegradability of not less than 60%.

2. Product safety

For products designed to make contact with human or animal skin, it is mandatory to provide safety information or data that demonstrates the product is non-corrosive and non-sensitizing to the skin at the effective concentration. Furthermore, for products that may come into contact with eyes under normal use conditions, it is required to provide safety information or data indicating that the product will not cause severe eye damage at the effective concentration.

3. Product labelling

When there are dangers or potential hazards associated with the use of the product (including those resulted from accidental exposure), the manufacturer should assess the risks, and provide clear instructions regarding the use conditions, use methods, precautions, situations to avoid, and emergency procedures in the event of foreseeable accidents. This is to ensure that users are adequately informed about the product's application, and if necessary, implement appropriate preventive measures.