France is the first country to have adopted a specific standard for vaping products: the AFNOR NF XP D90-300 standard.

AFNOR standard XP D90-300 is divided into 3 distinct parts:

  • Part 1 (March 2015) relates to material (E-cig, box, atomizer). It outlines general requirements  regarding safety for the E-cigarettes used with nicotine or nicotine-free. It doesn’t apply to devices containing tobacco.
  • Part 2 (March 2015) relates to E-liquids. It outlines general requirements regarding packaging, safety and information for E-liquids with nicotine or nicotine-free and proposes methods of analysis.
  • Part 3 (July 2016) is specific to emissions (combination of both material and e-liquid)

Focus on AFNOR XP-D90-300 part 2 : E-liquids

Part 2 of the standard (XP D90-300) is devoted to E-liquids components in order to guarantee safety to consumers.

The certification of E-liquids provides many guarantees and more specifically :

  • A careful selection of used raw materials (PG, VG, European or American pharmacopea high-quality Nicotine. Likewise for ethanol : if it’s being added as supplement, it must be food-grade quality and not transformed.
  • The exclusion of ingredients such as heavy metals, sugar, sweeteners, vegetable and mineral oils, vitamins and minerals, stimulating additives, formaldehyde releasers and other classified CMR substances (carcinogenic, mutagenic, reprotoxic) and STOT (specific target organ toxicity of Class 1 respiratory system).
  • The control in E-liquids of the concentration for the following substances which maximal levels have been set : diacetyl, acrolein, acetaldehyde, formaldehyde
  • An information delivered to consumers about product and assistance provided via internet and telephone.
  • Mentioning compositional elements on product label whenever its concentration is above 1.2%.

AFNOR standard enables to either limit or ban the use of so many additional ingredients such as preservatives, medicines, psychotrops. Standard lists the molecules in E-liquids which must be avoided.

AFNOR XP-D90-300 part 2  has for now an experimental statut and is being applied voluntarily. It can evolve. New molecules should be monitor and be soon integrated with standard such as propionyl acetyl.

AFNOR is the first agency in France for certification and evaluation of system, services, products and skills.

Committed to the values of independance, impartiality and confidentiality, AFNOR offers convenient services thanks to 39 agencies in 5 continents and 13 French regional delegations. 1600 auditors have been identified by AFNOR and are qualified to meet client needs. They are located in more than 6000 sites in the world.

The General Management is headed up by Mr. Franck Leb.

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