Geneva-based SGS Consumer Testing Services has updated its SVHC Screen Lite Program to help textile
and footwear companies identify and detect substances of very high concern (SVHCs) in their
products in order to minimize associated risks and reach compliance with the requirements of the
European Union’s Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH)
regulations.
Six chemicals recently were added to the REACH SVHC Candidate List, including: cadmium;
cadmium oxide; ammonium pentadecafluorooctanoate (APFO); pentadecafluorooctanoic acid (PFOA);
dipentyl phthalate (DPP); and 4-nonylphenol, branched and linear, ethoxylated.
SGS’s newest program includes 144 high-risk SVHCs found frequently in textiles, coatings,
leather, plastic and prints. In order to comply with the REACH Article 33 substance declarations
requirement, companies must supply safety information for any product that contains more than 0.1
percent of any SVHC.
November/December 2013
