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/Consumer goods

HomepageConsumer goods
AG Consumer goods
The area of consumer goods therefore encompasses an extraordinarily broad spectrum of differently composed matrices, which pose a challenge from an analytical perspective. For the assessment with regard to health and consumer protection, national and European legal regulations from the areas of food, chemical and product safety law must be taken into account. The working group has the relevant experts for all areas. The working group was founded in 1979 and currently has 20 active and 25 corresponding members. The members come from the following areas:
  • Manufacturers
  • Trade
  • Service providers (private quality control)
  • University
  • Federal authorities
  • Materials monitoring
Management of the working group

Chairman

Dr Ulrich Leist
Managing Director
Deutsches Referenzbüro für Ringversuche
u. Referenzmaterialien GmbH
Bodmanstr. 4
87435 Kempten
Tel.: 0831 960878-78
ulrich.leist@drrr.de

Deputy Secretary and Secretary

Dr Ines Anderie
Prüf- und Forschungsinstitut Pirmasens (PFI) e.V.
Chemical Analysis and Research
ines.anderie@pfi-germany.de

Period of office 2024 - 2026

General information
The working group sees itself as an interest-neutral body that deals with issues relating to the composition and analysis of consumer goods as specified in the German Food and Feed Code (LFGB). These are in particular:
  • Materials and articles with food contact
    (e.g. cooking, drinking and eating utensils, packaging materials)
  • Products with body contact
    (e.g. Clothing including shoes, accessories such as bracelets, earrings)
  • Toys (for babies, children and adults) and joke articles
    The aforementioned everyday articles can be made of a wide variety of materials, e.g. glass, ceramics, wood, metal, leather, textile, plastic (e.g. PE, PP, PA, PES, PVC).
In addition there are:
  • Household chemicals (e.g. detergents, all-purpose cleaners, impregnating and finishing agents for textiles)
  • Cleaning agents in food production
  • as well as fragrance oils for indoor air improvement
These agents may also be hazardous preparations within the meaning of chemicals legislation.
Main objectives and activities
  • Advising federal authorities: Preparation of statements on national and European legal regulations
  • Exchange of information and cooperation with national and international expert committees (e.g. DIN, CEN, Plastics Commission)
  • Development of analytical methods for the testing of commodities, incl. interlaboratory tests, discussion of current topics on commodities
  • Public relations work: information events on commodities, publications and statements on selected topics
Current analytical issues
  • Nickel release from metallic objects with skin contact
  • Azo dyes in textiles and leather
  • Analysis of chromium(VI) in leather
  • Analysis of sensitising disperse dyes in textiles
  • Food packaging: Analysis of isopropylthioxanthone (ITX) and food contamination from printed packaging
Current topics of discussion
  • Phthalic acid esters in toys
  • Formaldehyde release from wooden puzzles
  • Nanoparticles in detergents and cleaning agents
  • Restriction of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment - analysis and significance for consumer goods
  • Lead-containing costume jewellery for children - investigation procedures, legal regulations
Position papers and publications

Position papers

  • Position paper on the organisation of the monitoring of consumer goods: Food chemists continue to be the experts for food and consumer protection! (2012) (pdf)
  • Dangerous substances in toys (2008) (pdf)
  • Position paper on the new regulation of nickel in the Consumer Goods Ordinance, (Lebensmittelchemie 60, 74, 2006) (pdf)

Publications

  • Chromium(VI) in consumer goods made of leather (2007) (pdf)
  • Analysis of flame-retardant textiles, (Food Chemistry 60, 2 (2006)
  • Analysis of pentachlorophenol (PCP), (Food Chemistry 59, 52, 2005)
Literature on consumer goods
  • Analytik von Bedarfsgegenständen, L.W. Kroh (ed.), 2007, Behr`s Verlag Hamburg
  • Bedarfsgegenstände, A. Montag, 1997, Behr`s Verlag Hamburg
  • Taschenbuch für Lebensmittelchemiker, W. Frede (ed.), 2006, Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
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Poster of the AG

LM Day 2005 (pdf) LM Day 2008 (pdf)
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