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Why you need to know about the Biocidal Product Regulations


There are hundreds of different cleaning products on the market. Made up of a bemusing array of chemicals, how do you know which work and more importantly how can you trust what’s in them?

Regulations to protect humans, animals and the environment have been around for years, with many countries around the world putting in place their own legislation. But this plethora of standards, allowing an ever-constant array of different product claims, has not always been helpful to businesses, which need products that meet HSE standards and traceability mandates.

Over the course of the last couple of years, however, the EU’s Biocidal Products Regulation (BPR) has been rolled out, which has sought to harmonise all requirements to become the ‘gold standard’ in biocide regulations worldwide. The BPR aims to raise the safety standard of biocide use across the European market, for businesses it is a mark to trust.

BPR demands that manufacturers of cleaning products go through a rigorous process before gaining official EU authorization.  It can take many man-hours and a significant cost to complete, but ensures that those companies with the internal research and laboratory expertise will produce products that are safe, compliant and do what they say.

Perversely, this can provide businesses with another problem.

All biocidal products require a BPR authorisation before they can be placed on the market, and the active substances contained in that biocidal product must be previously approved. With relatively few manufacturers able to go through the strict and lengthy process for BPR, many are simply using others’ approved formulas. So, is there any real product differentiation?

Different businesses will always have different demands, whether this is for gentler products for the office or long residual performance for food processing plants. Having the right solution is important.

That’s where we can help. Supplying the best, means supplying the best for your business.

At Guthries, we work with Byotrol and supply their range of industrial and personal cleaning products, including antimicrobial hand and surface sanitisers and sanitizing wipes. As well as BPR approved, these products are alcohol-free, proven to be gentler on the skin and have the best residual (long-lasting) performance. These product features can make all the difference when dealing with large numbers of office staff, or meeting the requirements for a safe and hygienic food business.

The Biocidal Product Regulations will continue to be rolled out over 2017 and will be an important marque for companies to ask for from their suppliers. But standardization doesn’t also mean no choice.