Dangerous Substances and Industry - New Regulations on Supervision, Production, and Usage

The Minister of Industry (MoI) has issued a regulation that recognizes that there are both inherent benefits as well as dangers in the production and use of dangerous substances. To ensure that dangerous substances are not misused or abused, Regulation No. 24/M-IND/PER/5/2006 stipulates the types of dangerous substances covered, their production and use, registration, reporting, and prohibitions, among other matters.

A dangerous substance includes anything that can be characterized as a poison, carcinogenic, teratogenic, mutagenic, corrosive, and irritants (see ILB 27/2/2006). Specifically mentioned in the Regulation is formalin or formaldehyde which is often used as a food preservative, particular by street vendors and market sellers for fish and meats. However, the Regulation does not specifically address the issue of food preservatives it does require the registration of not only producers but the end users of dangerous substances as well.