Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what requirements are placed on producers of domestic cleaning products to list their ingredients on product packaging.

Producers of domestic cleaning products are required to make consumers aware of the ingredients of their products through the EU Classification, Labelling and Packaging (CLP) Regulation (Regulation (EC) No. 1272/2008). Under this Regulation, suppliers of products containing hazardous chemical substances and mixtures are required to provide information on the label to identify any hazardous chemicals, explain what the hazards are and how to avoid them.

In addition, under the EU Detergents Regulation (Regulation (EC) No. 648/2004), producers of detergents and cleaning products sold to the general public must also list the product ingredients on labels on product packaging and in ingredient data sheets. Enzymes, disinfectants, optical brighteners, perfumes and preservation agents must be listed on the label irrespective of their concentration. This information must appear in legible, visible and indelible characters on the packaging of detergents and cleaning products which are intended for the consumer.

Producers must also prepare a full ingredient data sheet to be made available to medical personnel on request. A less detailed version of the ingredient data sheet must also be placed in the public domain via a website address on the product packaging.

This information on ingredients enables consumers to make better informed choices about products.

The levels of protection for people and the environment, including labelling requirements for ingredients and ingredient data sheets, will remain at least as high as at present when the UK leaves the EU.