South Korea unveils safety information for household chemicals.

The Korean Ministry of Environment has announced that the safety information for raw materials in 76 household chemical products will be made available on the Green Nuri Living Environment Safety Information System (https://ecolife.me.go.kr/ecolife/systemInfo ) starting December 12, 2024. This initiative aims to help consumers easily verify the safety of products through an intuitive leaf grading system. 

Key Highlights: 

• Leaf Grading System: The safety of each product is indicated by the number of leaves, ranging from one to four. Four leaves signify no safety concerns, while one leaf indicates that safer alternatives are recommended. 

• Voluntary Participation: Fifteen companies have voluntarily disclosed safety information for ingredients in 11 categories, including detergents and laundry detergents, covering a total of 76 products. 

• Safety Grades: None of the disclosed products received the lowest grade, which recommends substitution with safer ingredients. The majority of products fell into the three-leaf category, representing 55.8% of the total. 

• Consumer Trust: Park Yeon-jae, Director of the Environmental Health Bureau, emphasized that this transparency will help consumers easily understand safety information and build trust in the companies involved. 

Looking ahead, the Ministry plans to launch a next-generation chemical product management system in the first half of 2025, which will provide even more detailed safety information to ensure consumer safety.