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The US FDA continues to pay attention to brominated flame retardants BFRs, and home appliance manufacturers need to be aware of the risks

Time：

2024-10-24

85% of 203 black plastic products in the US market contain brominated flame retardants. The FDA is strengthening enforcement against products containing unauthorized flame retardants and recommends that home appliance companies pay attention to and seek alternative solutions.

Recently, a survey published in the journal Chemical Circle showed that 85% of the 203 black plastic products sold in the surveyed US market contained brominated flame retardants (BFRs) and/or organic phosphate flame retardants (OPFRs), with a staggering total concentration of 22800 mg/kg.

The detection frequencies of tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA), decabromodiphenyl ether (Deca BDE), and 2,4,6-tribromophenol (TBP) are relatively high.

▶ About brominated flame retardants

Brominated flame retardants (BFRs) are commonly used in electronic and electrical products, carpets, flame arresters, and software. However, due to their adverse effects such as environmental persistence, endocrine disruption, and carcinogenicity, they have become a focus of product sampling in recent years.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) stipulates that only authorized substances can be used for materials in contact with food. If unauthorized substances are present in food contact materials (FCM), the FDA will determine them as adulterated products under Section 402 (a) (2) (C) (i) of the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and reject them from entering the US market.

At present, the enforcement and regulatory scope of brominated flame retardants by the US FDA includes the following five substances, none of which have been authorized by the US FDA:

2,4,6-tribromophenol (TBP)

CAS NO.:118-79-6

3,3 ', 5,5' - Tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA)

CAS NO.:79-94-7

Hexabromocyclododecane (HBCDD)

CAS NO.:3194-55-6

Decabromodiphenyl ether (Deca BDE)

CAS NO.:1163-19-5

Decabromodiphenyl ethane (DBDPE)

CAS NO.:84852-53-8

▶ Continuous law enforcement: Home appliance enterprises need to pay attention to

Recently, the FDA has been conducting ongoing enforcement activities against unauthorized substances such as brominated flame retardants, which are unacceptable whether intentionally added or added as pollutants.

As of now, the detained information related to brominated flame retardants includes but is not limited to small household kitchen appliances. Due to potential cross contamination, electric kitchen appliances have a higher risk of containing flame retardants in their food contact parts. Black plastic is a high-risk material containing brominated flame retardants. To avoid trade risks, it is recommended that all manufacturers of household appliances, including kitchen appliances, pay more attention to brominated flame retardants (BFRs), conduct compliance testing, and actively seek alternative solutions.