Hands on
High customer satisfaction
Involved
Custom advice
Professional
Wide range of courses

Update EN 1400: Safety requirements for pacifiers

The new version of EN 1400 was published in September 2018. Conflicting national standards had to be withdrawn by March 31, 2019. What are the main changes in the new version?

Soothers are used by babies and young children: a vulnerable target group for which it is extremely important to have good safety requirements. These requirements are described in the EN 1400. This sets requirements for raw materials used, the dimensions and strength of pacifiers. It also sets requirements for the release of chemical substances that may be harmful to the child. The contents of the EN 1400 must ensure the safe use of pacifiers.

Main changes EN 1400

Compared to the previous version, the thermoplastics are now divided into 2 categories: 'All thermoplastics' and 'Polycarbonate and Polysulfone'. Thermoplastics are plastics that are flexible and strong. Polycarbonate and polysulfone are a type of thermoplastics that still contain residues of BPA (Bisphenol A), because BPA was used to manufacture these plastics. The updated version of EN 1400 specifies that a BPA migration test must be performed for polycarbonate and polysulfone. BPA is not used in the manufacture of other thermoplastics, such as polystyrene and polypropylene. Therefore, a BPA migration test for these plastics is not applicable.

A second change is that the migration limit for BPA has been reduced by 92%. For two member states in the EU, this migration limit is not strict enough. These member states have a complete ban on the use of BPA in pacifiers.

The third change is an expansion of the list of substances with migration limits. The expansion means that 19 substances must be tested in the updated version of standard. This expansion is caused by dividing chromium into two types: chromium (III) and chromium (VI). Furthermore, organic tin has been added to the list of substances with migration limits.

Finally, the migration limits for arsenic and barium were increased and the migration limit for nickel was reduced by almost 400%.

Soothers traded in the Netherlands

You can use the EN 1400 to demonstrate that your pacifiers are safe. Do your pacifiers already comply with the older version? Then we recommend that you assess whether your pacifiers need additional testing for the changes mentioned above.

Need support?

Would you like advice in assessing whether your older version of EN 1400 still meets the new requirements or do you want to start marketing pacifiers in the Netherlands and are looking for an expert partner to advise you on this? Précon Quality Services can help you with this. Please contact us at +31 (0)30 - 65 66 010 or info@precongroup.com.

Back to overview

Stay informed

Subscribe to our newsletter, our monthly look at food and non-food quality management.