Mercosur's latest safety standards for colorants in consumer products

The Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR) has promulgated regulations to establish the latest safety requirements for coloring agents in 1 of the food products produced by the Mercosur member countries, such as cosmetics, perfume and personal hygiene care products By 15 December 2010, these provisions must be incorporated into the national laws of Member States Non sulfurized aromatic amines in organic colorants The limit of the main non sulfurized aromatic amines dissolved in hydrochloric acid is 500 parts per million of the total mass of the colorant The limit of benzidine, β - naphthylamine and 4-aminobiphenyl is 10 parts per million L of the sulfurized aromatic amines in the organic colorant The limit of sulfonated aromatic amines is expressed as follows: aniline sulfonic acid is 500 L heavy metals and toxic substances per million of the total mass of colorants The Regulation establishes the maximum concentration limits of antimony (0.05% m / M), arsenic (0.005% m / M), barium (0.01% m / M), cadmium (0.01% m / M), chromium (0.10% m / M), lead (0.01% m / M), mercury (0.005% m / M), selenium (0.01% m / M) and zinc (0.20% m / M) L carbon black pigment The following limits apply to carbon black: extraction with toluene (0.1% m / M), extraction with cyclohexane (test unit < 0.02au per centimeter at 386 nm or test unit < 0.1 Au per centimeter), benzo (a) pyrene (0.25 mg / kg) and carbon black in polymer (2.5% m / M) Remarks: 1 Mercosur's GMC resolution, packaging materials in contact with food, general standard 56 / 92, list of permitted additives 32 / 07, colorant and pigment 28 / 93 2 Mercosur / GMC / res, 48 / 02 "Mercosur" technical terms, unless there are special requirements and regulations, generally excluding personal hygiene products, cosmetics and spices.