In
early September 2021, the Center for Environmental Health (CEH) issued two California
Proposition 65 (Prop 65) 60-day notices relating to the presence of bisphenol-A
(BPA) in baby, children’s and women’s socks made primarily of polyester with
Spandex.
Prop
65, or the ‘Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986’, is a unique
piece of legislation passed in November 1986. It requires the state to maintain
a list of chemicals (Prop 65 List) known to cause cancer, birth defects and/or
reproductive harm. Unless exempted, businesses operating in California must
provide ‘a clear and reasonable warning’ (Prop 65 Warning) before knowingly and
intentionally exposing anyone to a substance on the Prop 65 List, which now
contains over 900 chemicals. Unless exempted, companies have twelve months to
comply with this requirement once a substance is included in the Prop 65 List.
BPA
was added to the list in 2015. It is mostly used in the production of
polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins. Other identified sources of BPA are
thermal paper and the production of flame retardants and PVC. BPA is not
traditionally considered a high-risk chemical in textile fibers.
The
two 60-day notices were sent out on September 1 and September 10, 2021. They
list over 70 companies whose products have been shown in testing to have levels
exceeding the safety limit for BPA. This is the first-time notices have been
issued for BPA in textiles.
CEH
is an American non-profit organization working to protect children and families
from harmful chemicals in air, food, water and in everyday products.
SGS Softlines
Services
SGS has a worldwide network of over 40
state-of-the-art laboratories, including 10 in China, specializing in testing
of apparel, footwear, and home textiles. Their committed team is drawn from
multi-disciplinary backgrounds, allowing them to carry out a comprehensive
range of physical, chemical, and functional testing services for components,
materials and finished products. SGS helps companies ensure quality,
performance, and compliance with international, industrial, and regulatory
standards worldwide. In the end, it’s only trusted because it’s tested. Learn more about SGS’s Softlines Services.
SGS
SafeGuardS
keep you up to date with the latest news and developments in the consumer goods
industry. Read the full U.S. California Prop
65 60-Day Notices on Bisphenol-A (BPA) in Socks SafeGuardS.
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For
further information contact:
Louann
Spirito
Consumer
and Retail – Softlines
US
& Canada Softlines Business Head
Tel:
+1 973 461 7919
Email:
crs.media@sgs.com
Website:
www.sgs.com/softlines
LinkedIn:
sgs-consumer-goods-&-retail
About
SGS
We are SGS – the world’s
leading testing, inspection and certification company. We are recognized as the
global benchmark for quality and integrity. Our 89,000 employees operate a
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