(1) Reasons for Proposal

The Amendment aims to enhance the safety control of sanitary wet wipes used by consumers at food service providers and paper towels that come into direct contact with food, and clarify the applicable scope, terms, and test methods for hygiene products that are confusing to business owners, so as to provide safe hygiene products to the people. 

(2) Major Provisions

A. Additional establishment of general principles among standards and specifications for hygiene products [Notice 1. 3. 25), and Notice 1. 3. 26)]

1) Newly establish general principles for testing and operation for potassium permanganate consumption, total elution volume, moisture, etc.

2) Unify the indication method for temperature among the testing methods for hygiene products and formulate allowable errors where the temperature is indicated through a single value. 

B. Amendment to the standards and specifications, such as the applicable scope of cleaning agents [Notices 3. 1. 1). 3. 1. 2) (1), 3. 1. 2) (2), 3. 1. 2) (3), 3. 1. 3) (3), and 3. 1. 4)]

1) Unify the term for vegetables to match other statutes and expand and clarify the applicable scope of those subject to cleaning depending on the type of cleaning agent.  

2) Improve the manufacturing standards for cleaning agents to ensure that ingredients that have been verified for safety at home and abroad are used in cleaning agents.

3) Improve regulations that apply standards for pH,  arsenic, and heavy metal depending on the concentration of cleaning agents used. 

4) Clarify the regulations that exempt the application of pH specifications of 2 types of cleaning agents that give rise to confusion among business owners and consumers. 

C. Formulation of conversion standards of arsenic for the standards of hygiene products [Notices 3. 1. 4), 3. 2. 4) (2), 3. 11. 4), 3. 15. 4) (8), and 3. 17. 4)]

Specify conversion standards for accurately calculating the arsenic content in cleaning agents, rinsing supplements, disposable toothpicks, sanitary wet wipes, and disposable paper towels. 

D. Enhancement of standards and specifications for safety control of sanitary wet wipes [Notices 3. 15. 3), and 3. 15. 4)]

Improve the fabric standards, devise the standards for the use of cleaning and bleaching agents, and newly establish the specifications for fluorescent whitening agents to as to create a manufacturing and distribution environment for eco-friendly sanitary wet wipes that do not use fluorescent whitening agents. 

E. Revision to manufacturing standards for disposable paper towels [Notice 3. 17. 3) (1)]

Revise manufacturing standards to prevent any use of recycled pulp with a history of being printed on paper towels used in direct contact with food.

F. Maintenance of the list of components allowed for cleaning agents [attached Form 1]

1) Since some names of ingredients in cleaning agents do not match their chemical names or their Korean names do not match their English names, modification is required. 

2) Reorganize the list of ingredients that may be used in cleaning agents to prevent confusion among business owners. 

G. Amendment to the testing methods for hygiene products, etc. [Notice 3. 12. 4) (9), 3. 12. 6) (9), 3. 13. 4) (6), 3. 13. 6) (7), 5. 3. 4) (1), 5. 16. 7), 5. 16. 8) (2), 5. 16. 8) (4), 5. 16. 8) (5), 5. 16. 8) (6), 5. 17., 5. 19. 5. 24., and 5. 25.]

1) Delete the testing method for hygiene products No. 24. Testing methods for the total amount of lead and cadmium and integrate it into No. 17. Lead and 19. Cadmium testing methods.  

2) Improve the PCBs testing method for disposable paper towels to the testing method that introduces the latest analysis technology.

3) Revise the methods to scientific testing methods so as to enhance the efficiency of the test and inspection of hygiene products and the reliability of inspection, thereby laying the foundation for production of safe hygiene products.