How can I recognize whether a product contains nanoparticles?

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7. November 2013

At the moment, only conditionally: on the one hand, products with the attribute “nano” are advertised in which there is no “nano” at all. On the other hand, there are only a few product groups in which nanomaterials have to be labelled:

According to EU Regulation No. 1223/2009, the following applies to cosmetics: “All components in the form of nanomaterials must be clearly stated in the list of components. The names of these ingredients must be followed by the word “nano” in brackets”. In the list of ingredients, which shows the exact composition on each cosmetic product, the inorganic UV-blocker (also called mineral UV-Filter) titanium dioxide, for example, can be found as “TITANIUM DIOXIDE (nano)”.

Nanomaterials should also be highlighted accordingly in the list of food ingredients. From EU Regulation No. 1169/2011: “All ingredients that are present in the form of technically produced nanomaterials must be clearly listed in the list of ingredients. The designation of such ingredients must be followed by the word “nano” in brackets.” However, as neither additives nor other ingredients in nanoform have been approved and used to date, there are no lists of ingredients in which this information can be found.

The situation is similar with biocides, i.e. products that are used against small and large pests. The EU Regulation No. 528/2012 (Biocides Regulation) applies here. Their packaging would also have to be labelled if active substances were used in nanoform.

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