Recently, the Ministry of Health, labor and Welfare (MHLW) has further approved the remaining proposed items listed as II to V of the “ Act on Control of Household Product Containing Harmful Substances “as the item I has been approved on 8 April 2015 in Japan, and the Act will come into effect on 1 April 2016.

I. MHLW designates the 24 aromatic amines as "harmful substances"

II. The scope of “household products containing the azo compounds” that are subject to the regulation will be stipulated as follow;

• The textile products with azo dyes: diapers, diaper covers, underwear, sleepwears, gloves, socks, intermediate garments, outer garments, caps, hat, beddings, floor coverings, tablecloths, collar ornaments, handkerchiefs, and towels, bath mats and related products
• The leather and/or fur products with azo dyes: underwear, gloves, intermediate garments, outer garments, caps, hats and floor coverings

III. The criteria and test methods for the household products containing the azo compounds will be stipulated as follow:

• Any of the specified 24 aromatic amines must be less than 30μg/g when tested with a gas chromatograph mass spectrometer.

IV. The test method for the household products containing triphenyltin compounds and tributyltin compounds will be revised as follow:

• The test method using a gas chromatograph mass spectrometer will be used instead of flameless atomic absorption spectrometry and two-dimensional thin layer chromatography.

V. The test method for the household products containing formaldehyde will be revised as follow.

• In some operations, the test method for acetic acid and aqueous solution of ammonium acetate will be used instead of those using purified water.

The Solution:

Intertek Softlines focuses on textile and footwear service, which is one of the earliest businesses that Intertek developed in China. Starting from 1989, Intertek Softlines has set up laboratories and offices in textile and footwear industry clusters, and now can support its customers through its network of more than 20 laboratories and offices and over 2000 experts and professionals around China.

We can not only offer testing and certification services for finished products including textile and garment, shoes and leather goods, but also help companies to ｅｘｅｃute quality control over the whole industry chain from raw material to finished products.

Our Main Services:

• Textile, Apparel and Accessories testing
• Footwear and Material testing
• Handbag & Leather Goods testing
• Individual Protective Equipment (PPE) testing and certification
• Restricted substances testing

About Intertek

Intertek is a leading Total Quality Assurance provider to industries worldwide. Our network of more than 1,000 laboratories and offices and more than 100 countries, delivers innovative and bespoke Assurance, Testing, Inspection and Certification solutions for our customers’ operations and supply chains. Intertek Total Quality Assurance expertise, delivered consistently with precision, pace and passion, enabling our customers to power ahead safely.

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