CSQA Certificazioni together with Veneto Nanotech presents the first voluntary standard at NanotechItaly 2013
on the Responsible Management of Nanomaterials for products intended for consumption
CSQA Certificazioni together with Veneto Nanotech presents, tomorrow 28 November on the occasion of NanotechItaly2013 - VI edition of the most important international event on the subject of nanotechnologies - the first national reference available to companies to ensure customers and suppliers the adoption of a responsible management system for the conscious use of nanomaterials along the entire supply chain, up to products intended for consumption.
From 13 December 2014, EU Regulation 1169/2011 comes into force, which includes, among others, provisions regarding the labeling of nano-ingredients in food products. However, the national and European legislative context on nanomaterials remains incomplete, in constant evolution and with ever-changing deadlines. Even from a scientific point of view, the data from the literature do not provide certainties and are still insufficient to make quantitative assessments on the safety of consumer goods containing these substances. Nanomaterials are tiny particles invisible to the human eye, present in our daily life in commonly used products such as food, cosmetics, electronics and medicines. While they have many positive properties, there are large gaps in our knowledge of the health risks associated with them. Much attention should therefore be paid to their management while research on the subject is still ongoing.
In this context, many companies need to find a reference organizational model and for this reason CSQA and Veneto Nanotech have collaborated in drafting a standard for the 'Responsible Management of Nanomaterials for products intended for consumption'. “ This tool is useful for companies that use nanomaterials to demonstrate to customers and suppliers that they have implemented a management system, prevention, monitoring and control measures for production processes as well as a system for updating data relating to nanomaterials and for assessing the skills necessary for assessing the applied/applicable level of responsibility ”- confirms Dr. Maria Chiara Ferrarese of CSQA Certificazioni, Head of the Design & Innovation Sector of CSQA .
Dr. Alessia Bortolozzo, Project Manager of CSQA, reiterates how “ companies are often aware that they need an insurance tool for the responsible management of nanomaterials, but cannot find any managerial references ”.
The Standard can be adopted both by companies that produce consumer goods (Food, Cosmetics, Packaging, Materials and objects in contact with food, Textiles/leather…) and by those involved in the production chain (MP-including packaging, equipment, cleaning agents, additives and/or ingredients, Intermediate products-including packaging, equipment, cleaning agents, additives and/or ingredients, Transformers, Transport/storage operators, Distributors, etc.). It was created with the aim of proving that everything possible has been done according to the most advanced state of knowledge, to ensure that the company has adopted a responsible management system for the conscious use of nanomaterials throughout the supply chain, up to products intended for consumption.
Key elements of the Standard:
- communication along the production chain , from the supplier to the producer, up to the end user. It is essential to collect and provide all the information necessary to ensure responsible production and use of products containing or deriving from nanotechnology/handmade materials;
- a guideline for the collection and evaluation of the parameters used to quantify the exposure and effects of the nanomaterial in the context of risk analysis;
- an evaluation and attestation procedure as a useful tool for interpreting and measuring the parameters in terms of responsible management of business processes in the use of nanomaterials;
- the good practices contained in a guide to identify the management elements that can lead to a higher level of responsible use of the nanomaterial for maximum protection for the customer/consumer;
- the management system .
Advantages
- The standard allows the company to have a scheme for collecting and evaluating data relating to nanomaterials useful for compliance with the legislation already in force or in the process of being defined.
- The possibility of having the complete traceability of nanomaterials under control within the production processes and along the entire production chain through the application of responsible and aware communication.
- Through the evaluation procedure, the company is able to supply standard product sheets with minimum requirements to guarantee product quality.
- The guarantee of having a highly competent internal (or external) working group updated on the nanotechnologies used.
- The application of the management system is perfectly superimposable with other management systems present in the company: in fact, it favors the inclusion of the nanotech product within the process and/or production chain.
Rome, November 27, 2013
Press Office c/o extra communication
Serena Ferretti Cell. 346 4182567
Maria Francesca Moroni Tel. 0698966361
Email: ufficiostampa@extracomunicazione.it