CONSUMER PRODUCTS AND RETAIL E-SSENTIALS

Technical Guidance on Dimethyl fumarate

November 2018- Relevant for:softlines, hardlines, toys and children's products

What is it?
Dimethyl fumarate (DMFu) is a man-made organic compound. This can be used as preservatives to prevent the growth of mould during transportation and storage. It may be found in various products e.g. textiles, shoes, clothing, furniture and its packaging e.g. silica gel packs. Despite article treated with DMFu, it is possible to find this substance if the materials are in contact or near the source of contamination; in the air due to volatilization from the original source or dust as DMFu preparation can be sprayed either on the articles or inside the containers for shipment.

Potential hazard:
This substance can lead to contact dermatitis. Back in 2009, thousands of cases have been found with serious dermatitis and some of them need to be hospitalized.

Commonly found in:
Shoes, leather goods, furniture, home textiles, packaging materials and toys.

Related legislation and Maximum limits (non-exhaustive)

• European Union
  • REACH Annex XVII
    • Articles: 0.1 mg/kg
  • Biocidal Product Regulation (BPR)
    • DMFu is not an approved active substance under BPR. It should not be used as a biocide in the EU or in any treated articles.
• South Korea
  • Special Act on Safety Control of Children’s Products
    • Children’s textiles and leather products: 0.1 mg/kg
  • Electrical Appliance & Consumer Products Safety Management
    • Adult textiles and leather products: 0.1 mg/kg
• Switzerland
  • SR 814.81 ORRChem
    • Articles: 0.1 mg/kg
• China
  • GB 30585-2014 - Safety technical specification for children’s footwear
    • Children’s footwear: 0.1 mg/kg

How can TÜV SÜD help?
TÜV SÜD has a dedicated technical solutions team to support you with root cause analysis, problem identification, suggestions for improvement and failure minimisation.

• Training and seminar on understanding the RSL (Restricted Substance List) and MRSL (Manufacturing Restricted Substance List)
• Testing services on raw materials and final products 
• Being part of the Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals (ZDHC) programme, we review the entire value chain of footwear and textiles