From a chemical point of view candles are considered to be ‘mixtures’ on a carrier (the wick); these characteristics place them within the scope of Classification, Labelling, and Packaging legislation (CLP) and the corresponding UFI code - Poison Centre Notifications legislation.
Candles are primarily made up of non-hazardous waxes which do not require classification. However, candles usually contain additives for fragrance and colour, some of which may be hazardous and if present at a high enough concentration, could require warning statements or pictograms.
When is UFI code required?
You need to submit PCN notification for mixtures classified for any health (H3..) or physical (H2..) hazard.
For example:
If a candle contains any sensitising fragrance ingredient at more than 0.1 % (the proportion may also be lower, for fragrances with a special limit value) but less than 1 %, the label should bear the statement: "Contains (name of sensitising substance). May produce an allergic reaction." However, in this case both the UFI code and the PCN notification are not needed, as the candle is not classified as hazardous for health (with H3.. sentence).
If a candle contains more than a total of 1% sensitising fragrance ingredients, it should bear the exclamation point pictogram, the signal word WARNING, and have the statement: “May cause an allergic skin reaction.” - and a list of chemicals that contributed to the classification. In this case, a UFI code as well as a PCN notification are required.
What should be on a CLP compliant label?
Packaging containing a hazardous mixture must have a label firmly affixed to it immediately. The label must be easily readable horizontally when the package is set down normally.
If your product is classified as dangerous, you must generate a UFI code and perform a PCN notification and also provide a Safety Data Sheet. You can read more about PCN notification in our BLOG posts.
You can see how the CLP label should be composed in the example below:
Our team can prepare a CLP label for candles, a safety data sheet for all EU countries and perform a PCN notification in a very short time. Contact us for a non-binding offer (info@chem-consulting.si).
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