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March 14, 2007
Volume: 03-07
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STR ACCREDITATIONS STR Announces The Approval As An Authorized Provider Of International Association For Continuing Education And Training (IACET) STR is pleased to announce it has been approved as an Authorized Provider of IACET, the International Association for Continuing Education and Training. Selected seminars and trainings will be developed and executed under IACET's strict standards which emphasize effective adult learning. With STR's ability to offer trainings that are IACET approved, trainees will have the added confidence that they are receiving a high quality educational product, developed under well-researched benchmark practices. Authorized Providers of IACET, like STR, are entitled to issue "Continuing Education Units" or CEUs to learners who successfully complete trainings delivered in accordance to IACET's strict guidelines. For more information on scheduling seminars and trainings with STR and its divisions, please contact your representative or email Cara Chacon at cchacon@intlcompliance.com or Thuy Nguyen at thuy@intlcompliance.com, with STR/CSCC's Training and Education Department. For more information on IACET, please visit: www.iacet.org. STR-Shenzhen Passes The 2006 CNAS Accreditation STR is pleased to announce that our Shenzhen laboratory has successfully passed the annual accreditation assessment for ISO 17025:2005 by CNAS (Chinese National Accreditation Service for Conformity Assessment). Due to business growth, we have expanded the accreditation scope to all laboratories in Shenzhen, which covers Physical & Mechanical, Textile, Chemical and Hardlines laboratory, and a total 88 test items were certified, including toys, textile, lighting and related chemical tests. This accreditation will make STR-SZ more competitive in the testing industry. Please click here for certificates in English and Chinese. STR-Hong Kong Is An Approved Laboratory For Testing Toys And Consumer Products In Hong Kong We are pleased to announce that Specialized Technology Resources (H.K.) Ltd. has received the government notifications as approved laboratory in Hong Kong for the:
STR-HK has obtained both HOKLAS and UKAS accreditations for specific tests as listed in its laboratory accreditation scopes. Read more. RoHS and WEEE UPDATES UK WEEE Enforcement Guidance Document Just Released As of January 2, 2007, the provisions of the EU WEEE Directive came into force in the UK. The Directive outlines the regulations being imposed on producers and retailers of EEE to fund collection and recycling efforts of these products. The Guidance Notes, published by the UK Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), explain the implications for and roles of anyone involved with any stage of waste electrical and electronic equipment. Although the document is not legally binding, it does offer companies assistance with implementation of the Directive and management of waste. Read more. RoHS Crackdown, Is Your Company Compliant? We live in a world of ever growing legislation especially in the environmental sector. The increasing piles of legislation to read through and ongoing amendments can be painful. The costs associated with staying current with legislation, interpretation, and compliance can be enormous. Let's take RoHS for example, the deadline of July 1, 2006 has come and gone and many companies have spent costly resources and time to reach compliance. Read more. FOOD AND DRUG INDUSTRY UPDATES United States Standards For Grades Of Greenhouse Tomatoes The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) of the Department of Agriculture (USDA) is revising the United States Standards for Grades of Greenhouse Tomatoes. Specifically, AMS is revising the standards to allow that percentages of defects and size classifications be determined by count rather than weight. This will result in a revision of the following sections of the standards: Tolerances, Size Classification, Standard Pack, Damage, and Serious Damage. Additionally, AMS is deleting the "Unclassified'' section, adding moldy stems as a damage defect, and adding a scoring guide for damage and serious damage for skin checks. These revisions will bring the standards for greenhouse tomatoes in line with current marketing practices, thereby improving their usefulness in serving the industry. Regulation. FDA Issues Final Guidance For Safe Production Of Fresh-Cut Fruits And Vegetables On March 12, 2007, The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) published a draft final guidance advising processors of fresh-cut produce how to minimize microbial food safety hazards common to the processing of most fresh-cut fruits and vegetables, which are often sold to consumers in a ready-to-eat form. This document, Guide to Minimize Microbial Food Safety Hazards of Fresh-cut Fruits and Vegetables, suggests that fresh-cut processors consider a state-of-the-art food safety program such as the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) system, which is designed to prevent, eliminate, or reduce to acceptable levels the microbial, chemical, and physical hazards associated with food production. FDA press release. FDA Final Rule On Final Monograph For OTC Dandruff, Seborrheic Dermatitis, And Psoriasis Drug Products FDA is issuing a final rule amending the Final Monograph for OTC dandruff, seborrheic dermatitis, and psoriasis drug products to include the combination of 1.8% coal tar solution and 1.5% menthol in a shampoo drug product to control dandruff. This regulation will be effective on April 5, 2007. FDA regulation. Insect Repellent-Sunscreen Drug Products For Over-The-Counter Human Use FDA is considering amending its monograph for OTC sunscreen drug products to add conditions for marketing insect repellant-sunscreen drug products. Because sunscreen products are regulated by FDA and the insect repellant components of these products are separately regulated by EPA, both agencies are seeking comments to determine how these combination products should be regulated. FDA is seeking information/comments on possible manufacturing, formulation and labeling conflicts as well as safety and effectiveness issues. Written or electronic comments may be submitted to FDA by May 23, 2007. FDA regulation.
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EVENTS/SEMINARS Shuster Laboratories To Exhibit At The National Restaurant Association, Restaurant, Hotel-Motel (NRA) Show May 19-22, 2007 Mark your calendar for the 2007 NRA Show, being held May 19-22, at McCormick Place in Chicago, IL. The NRA Show is one of the largest foodservice and hospitality events in the industry. Major areas of focus include food, beverage, equipment, smallwares, apparel, tabletop, furnishings, design, technology, and services. Exhibiting companies will demonstrate the latest products and technologies and free education sessions will deliver solutions you can immediately put to work. Shuster will have an exhibit at booth #9375, and will showcase the company's comprehensive quality assurance and supply chain support services for the food service industry. If you would like to meet with the Shuster staff during the show or learn more about our programs and services, please contact Katie Griffin at katie.griffin@shusterlabs.com. For more information about the event, please visit: www.restaurant.org/show/. STR Is A Contributing Sponsor For Upcoming ICPHSO Conference In Beijing Safety professionals from around the world will be gathering in Beijing, China on May 21 and 22, 2007 to attend the first ICPHSO/AQSIQ conference. STR is proud to be a Contributing Sponsor of this conference which will focus on, "Consumer Product Safety, Our Common Responsibility!". The life cycle of products in three categories - Electrical and Electronic Goods, Toys and Juvenile Products, and Household Products - will be discussed by a variety of international speakers, with the focus on ensuring safety in the global marketplace. STR is co-chairing the Toys and Juvenile Products session, and Susan DeRagon and Ben Lau of STR, will be speaking about pre-market evaluation of these products. For additional information on this conference, please visit the ICPHSO website at: www.icphso.org. STR To Exhibit And Present A REACH Seminar At ChinaPlas 2007 STR will exhibit and present a session on REACH at the upcoming Chinaplas 2007 Exhibition, May 21-24 at the Guangzhou International Convention and Exhibition Centre. This will be the 21st Chinaplas, with the show being recognized as the top international trade fair in Asia for the plastics and rubber industries. Read more. TOY SAFETY UPDATES Proposed Changes In New ASTM F963-2007 Edition Proposed changes to the ASTM F963 Consumer Specification for Toy Safety are expected to be approved on March 15, 2007. Changes include new test requirements based on injury and incident data, harmonization with EN71 and ISO 8124 toy safety standards, and clarification and modification of existing requirements, including the following:
Proposed New Labeling Requirements For Toys In Mexico The Mexican government published a draft labeling requirement for toys in February, 2007. This will cover all kinds of toys sold in Mexico, including electric toys. This labeling requirement will require all information included on toys must be in Spanish. Languages in addition to Spanish are also acceptable. Read more. Lead Poisoning In Children's Metal Jewelry In recent years, US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) found that many of children's jewelry contained high levels of Lead which would cause serious adverse health effect if children swallowed such jewelry. More than 150 million pieces of children's metal jewelry were therefore recalled. CPSC is moving forward to propose new regulation to govern the lead content in children's metal jewelry. U.S. CSPS Federal Register. In addition, new regulation governing lead in children's jewelry had also been passed in Canada in 2005 as one of the action item of the Lead Reduction Strategy of Health Canada. Click here for the Canada Hazardous Products Act SOR/2005-132. Read more. TEXTILE REGULATIONS CPSC Calls Upon STR For Assistance The Consumer Product Safety Commission is currently reviewing and revising the clothing textile flammability rules within 16 CFR 1610. To support this endeavor, CSPC has requested the assistance of STR's Director of Softlines Technology, Mr. Ron Pacheco. The proposed changes to the rule include clarification on terms such as "base burn" and "surface flash", the use of more modern test equipment and dry-cleaning methods, clarification of test procedures, and revisions that allow for more complex test reporting. Read more. China Adopts New Garment Labeling Regulations The General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of the People's Republic of China has adopted new rules regarding the labeling of garments offered to consumers within the PRC. The new rule requires the garment label to include a statement that the garment meets the requirements of GB18401. Within GB18401 are tests for fiber and formaldehyde content, pH value, colorfastness to water/perspiration/rubbing, odor, azo dye amine release, dimensional change, and the presence and content of the label itself. For more information on this requirement, or for assistance with any other garment testing needs, please contact your STR representative or send email to inquiries@strus.com. New Edition Of ISO Method For Dimensional Change In Washing & Drying Of Textiles - ISO 5077:2007 The ISO method (ISO 5077:1984) which has been used over 20 years for determination of dimensional change in washing and drying of textiles was recently revised to the ISO 5077:2007 edition. Click here for the major differences between ISO 5077:1984 and ISO 5077:2007.
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Client Confidentiality Please note that none of the articles make a direct reference to any past or present client. It is our policy and practice to maintain strict client confidentiality at all times. Our business, and yours, depend on it! |
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