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As the 1 July 2024 deadline for the Biocidal Products Regulation (BPR) dossiers for quaternary ammonium compounds (quats) approaches, leading regulatory and microbiological testing house, MSL Solution Providers, is urging manufacturers and suppliers of quat-containing biocidal products to expedite the preparation and submission of their dossiers.
Quats are used in a variety of biocidal products, including disinfectants for surfaces and human hygiene. Highly effective at killing germs, they work by disrupting the cell membranes of bacteria and the outer layers of viruses, leading to their destruction. Like all biocidal products, those containing quats must adhere to the Biocidal Products Regulation (BPR). As part of this, they require a BPR dossier to be submitted to the competent authority so that they stay compliant and can continue to be marketed and sold within the UK and EU.
For ADBAC/BKC-based products (disinfectants containing Alkyl (C12-16) dimethylbenzyl ammonium chloride), the deadline for PT1 use (human hygiene) is 1 July 2024, with the timings for PT2 (surface disinfection) following a year later, on 1 July 2025.
The testing involved in preparing a BPR dossier can take several months to complete, and with the next deadline approaching, MSL is urging manufacturers and suppliers of quats-based biocidal products on the UK market to act now.
Peter Thistlethwaite, Technical Manager at MSL Solution Providers, commented: “As the key deadlines approach, timely action is essential to stay compliant and maintain market access within the UK and EU. It’s not too late to act, but preparation is key. The UK BPR is delaying some dossier deadlines, as they lack the manpower to process them all, so there is still time to generate the data required. However, dossiers must be submitted by the deadline to continue trading in the EU – so it is crucial to prepare and submit dossiers as soon as possible to avoid commercial disruption. Furthermore, by July 2025, all deadlines will pass for any product that uses quats as its only active, so companies need to start preparing their BPR dossiers for these substances too.”
Testing forms a key element of the BPR dossier to substantiate biocidal claims against bacteria, yeast, fungi, and enveloped viruses, its effectiveness under dirty conditions, and to ensure that residue levels in food areas do not exceed maximum limits. A complete service provider, MSL Solution Providers can help manufacturers and brands of quat-based biocidal products with BPR dossiers at every step of the journey, from efficacy testing at its in-house laboratories, to compiling safety data sheets.
Its expertise includes product claim support for the BPR (Biocidal Product Regulation), disinfectant testing, claims substantiation, safety data sheets, user trials, hygiene auditing, cleanroom validation (UV and airborne disinfection), and tailored solutions for specific testing needs. Its in-house accredited microbiology and virology labs provide a comprehensive range of standard tests, including efficacy testing against bacteria, fungi, spores, viruses, mycobacteria, legionella, and algae. The majority of its biocides testing, including virology testing, is accredited by UKAS 4045 to ISO/IEC 17025:2017 standards.
