The international symbol for “For Food Contact” contains a wine glass and a fork. Importers must attach this symbol with the text “For Food Contact” to suitable parts of kitchen appliances unless the products are obviously built to enter in contact with food or drinks, i.e. a knife or a pan.
CE Mark
Certain kitchen appliances, i.e. electrical appliances, need to carry a CE mark, to indicate whether the product is compliant with all applicable CE directives. CE mark must be affixed to the product, packaging and the user manual before the products can be sold on the EU market.
CE label file
Your supplier has no responsibility to create the CE label file for your kitchen appliances. We recommend that you should create the label file in .ai or .eps format with the information below:
Dimensions
Position
Color
Print type
Note: The CE label files should be included in your packaging and user manual files as well.
CE Documentation
Besides the CE mark, there are other requirements to ensure CE conformity. For instance, you also need to prepare documents including the Declaration of Conformity (DoC), User manual, and technical file.
Declaration of Conformity (DoC)
Importers need to draft and sign an EU declaration of conformity (DoC) for kitchen appliances. The DoC shall include information such as:
Produce identification/SKU (e.g. Toaster Model S3)
Product features
Name and address of the manufacturer/importer
List of applicable EN standards or directives
Location
Responsible individual
Note that market surveillances, retailers and consumers may request the DoC for compliance checking purposes.
User Manual
You should also self-issue a user manual in order to provide the user with product instructions and support information. The user manual must include information as below:
1. Installation guideline
2. Overview of the product
3. Safety instructions
4. Instructions on how to use the product
5. Instructions on how to refill and/or recharge the product (if needed) and
6. Instructions on how to dispose of the product in an environmentally friendly manner
Some kitchen appliances might not have enough space for the CE mark or WEEE mark. In this case, you shall include the marks in the user manual and its packaging.
Technical File
The technical file shall provide design, labels, packaging, material and other relevant information. Your supplier is not required to provide a technical file. Instead, it’s the importer’s responsibility to create the technical file before importing it to the European Union.
Bill of materials
Design drawings
Label files
Packaging files
List of applied standards and directives (e.g. RoHS)
Test reports
QC reports
Risk assessment
Test Report
The technical file must include test reports corresponding to the applicable EN standards or directives. In addition, you should have those standards or directives stated in the DoC.
REACH
REACH regulates chemical substances such as lead in all consumer products sold on the EU market. As such, you need to comply with REACH when importing kitchen appliances.
Note that it is illegal to sell non-compliant kitchen appliances or other consumer products in the EU.
Here are some regulated substances under REACH:
Nickel
Lead
Benzidine
Cadmium
Mercury
Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC)
You can refer to the SVHC list to find a complete list of restricted substances. However, the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) adds new substances to the SVHC list on a non-regular schedule, and it could be difficult for importers to keep track of those substances. Therefore, we recommend that you should book a REACH testing to help you assess product compliance.
Lab testing
Your supplier is not liable for product compliance. Therefore, it is essential to inform your supplier about REACH testing before placing orders.
Third-party lab testing is the only way to assess if your appliances are compliant. Some testing companies, such as SGS, Bureau Veritas, QIMA, and TUV, provide REACH testing for kitchen appliances. They will also help you confirm other applicable standards for the European Union market.
Testing companies
REACH test companies list:
C&K testing
SGS
TUV
QIMA
Intertek
Costs
REACH test cost depends on the product’s material, colors, and other requirements. In general, the REACH test cost starts at $200 per material.
Learn more
Click here to learn more about REACH lab testing.
Risks
Plastic, steel, and other food contact materials are not REACH compliant by default. You must instruct your supplier to specifically procure REACH compliant materials before importing kitchen appliances to the EU. Further, note that the same risk applies to food contact materials compliance and electrical safety.