On November 14, 2023, the government of Georgia published a new regulation limiting the migration of lead (CAS 7439-92-1) and cadmium (CAS 7440-43-9) from ceramic food contact articles.
The Georgian regulation brings the country in line with the specific migration limits (SMLs) of lead and cadmium as regulated in the EU’s Ceramic Articles Directive.
| Ceramic food contact article category | Lead | Cadmium |
| Category 1: Ceramic articles which cannot be filled and articles which can be filled, the internal depth of which, measured from the lowest point to the horizontal plane passing through the upper rim, does not exceed 25 mm | 0.8 mg/dm2 | 0.07 mg/dm2 |
| Category 2: All other ceramic articles which can be filled | 4 mg/l | 0.3 mg/l |
| Category 3: Ceramic: cooking ware; packaging and storage vessels having a capacity of more than three liters | 1.5 mg/l | 0.1 mg/l |
The new limits will go into force on January 1, 2026. Anything already on the market by that date can remain unchanged until the end of 2026.
The European Commission officially recommended Georgia as an EU candidate in November 2023, which was confirmed by the European Council on December 14, 2023. Aligning national policies with those of the EU is part of the EU accession process.
References
Government of Georgia (November 14, 2023). “Regarding the approval of the ‘Technical Regulation – on ceramic products intended for contact with food’.” (in Georgian).
ECHA. “Ceramic Articles Directive – Lead and Cadmium Migration Limits.”
Daniel Bellamy (December 16, 2023). “Georgia celebrates gaining EU candidate status.” EuroNews
Read more
Luke Buxton (December 6, 2023). “Georgia restricts lead and cadmium in food contact ceramics.” Enhesa
