Ecuador has announced a revised proposal that, if accepted, will update its technical regulation for food contact ceramics.
The latest proposal, designated Ecuadorian Technical Regulation RTE UNEN 010 (2R) – ‘Ceramic Tableware Intended to Come into Contact with Food’, was circulated attached to World Trade Organization (WTO) document no. 20-4675 on July 8, 2020. It has a new structure and contains several important changes, including:
- Revision to existing definitions and addition of new definitions
- Addition of a table detailing the migration requirements for lead and cadmium (see below)
- Mandating the list of information that must be included for labeling requirements.
- Requirements for conformity evaluation procedure (Procedimiento de Evaluación de la Conformidad (PEC)), including:
- Inspection and sampling
- Requiring four identical units/samples for testing
- Product certificate of conformity (CoC)
- Supplier declaration of conformity (DoC)
- Test reports recognized by the Ecuadorian Accreditation Service (Servicio de Acreditación Ecuatoriano, SAE)
The table detailing the migration requirements (criteria for 4 units) for lead and cadmium covers:
Lead
- Flatware ≤ 0.8 mg/dm² (average)
- Small Hollowware ≤ 2 mg/l
- Large Hollowware ≤ 1 mg/l
- Storage Hollowware ≤ 0.5 mg/l
- Cups and Mugs ≤ 0.5 mg/l
- Cooking Ware≤ 0.5 mg/l
Cadmium
- Flatware ≤ 0.07 mg/dm² (average)
- Small Hollowware ≤ 0.5 mg/l
- Large Hollowware ≤ 0.25 mg/l
- Storage Hollowware ≤ 0.25 mg/l
- Cups and Mugs ≤ 0.25 mg/l
- Cooking Ware ≤ 0.25 mg/l
The table lists ISO 6486-2 as the standard and ISO 6486-1 or NTE INEN ISO 6486-1 as the test standard.
Ecuador is currently holding a consultation on the proposal. Once approved, Ecuadorian Technical Regulation RTE UNEN 010 (2R) will enter into force six months after it is published in the Official Register, according to the WTO document in Q1 of 2021. It will replace RTE INEN 010:2013 (IR) and Amendments 1, 2 and 3:2014 on food contact ceramics.
SGS Food Contact Material Services
SGS’s technical experts have extensive experience of testing materials and articles in contact with food. They can ensure that your products meet the appropriate regulations for food contact materials and pave the way for compliance. SGS offers the full range of testing, including migration tests, along with expert advice on emerging regulations, compliance issues and documentation review. Learn more about SGS’s Food Contact Material Services.
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