The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has added cadmium chloride (CAS 10108-64-2), sodium perborate (PBS; CAS 7632-04-4), sodium perborate; perboric acid, sodium salt (no CAS number) and dihexyl phthalate (CAS 68515-50-4) to its Candidate List of Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC) for Authorization under the European chemical regulation, REACH. All newly included substances fulfill the REACH SVHC criteria by being toxic for reproduction.

Chemicals on the SVHC list require authorization for use in products, albeit not if they are used in food contact materials.  None of the newly listed SVHC substances are authorized for use in food contact plastics or cellulose in Europe, however they may be used according to national law in other types of food contact materials. The sodium perborate compounds are used in food packaging adhesives (authorized for this use in the US under FDA 21CFR 175.105), while dihexyl phthalate is a plasticizer for cellulose, PVC and other food-contact polymers and is also used in food packaging adhesives (FDA 21CFR175.105, 178.3740).

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Candidate List of Substances of Very High Concern for Authorisation. European Chemicals Agency (June 16, 2014).

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