October 16, 2015
UNITED STATES - American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) intends to publish a new safety standard “Consumer Safety Specification for Liquid Laundry Packets” (F3159-15), for the labeling and packaging of liquid detergent laundry packets.
The standard is intended to reduce the risk of ingestion by children, which can result in coughing, choking, vomiting, respiratory distress, loss of consciousness, and if in contact with the eyes, irritation and corneal burns.
The standard focuses on:
- Packaging requirements to be contained in opaque or other packaging intended to cover the packet
- Labeling requirement to have warning statements
- Packagingperformance requirement options, which will make packets more difficult to open by children
The ASTM Subcommittee on Liquid Laundry Packets (F15.71), part of Committee F15 on Consumer Products, has consulted with representatives from the industry, advocacy groups, international organizations and consumers in developing the standard.