COSHH Awareness Training

Formaldehyde

Biocidal Products Directive (BPD) Non Inclusion Decision for Formaldehyde (product type 20)

The EU Commission has published a new Biocidal Products Directive (BPD) Non Inclusion Decision, dated 25 April 2013, in the Official Journal of the European Union, for formaldehyde (product type 20). Biocidal products containing formaldehyde (product type 20) shall no longer be placed on the market with effect from 1 July 2015.

The Decision was taken because the EU Commission considered the reference products containing formaldehyde, submitted as part of the active substance dossier for evaluation, to be in the scope of Regulation (EC) No 1831/2003 on additives for use in animal nutrition and hence excluded from the scope of the BPD. Applications for product authorisation should be made under 1831/2003.

Companies supplying preservatives for food or feedstock as biocidal products containing formaldehyde must manage the supply of the affected biocidal product to ensure there will be none remaining in the EU supply chain by the Non Inclusion date (1 July 2015).