Thailand Proposes Mandatory Standard for Plastic Containers for Drinking Water

SafeGuardSHardgoods17 Dec 2024

SG 180/24

Thailand has informed the World Trade Organization (WTO) of its intention to mandate TIS 998-2553 (2010) for plastic containers for drinking water. This standard will become a legal standard 180 days following its publication in the Government Gazette.

On December 4, 2024, the WTO announced a draft ministerial regulation from Thailand’s Ministry of Industry to mandate the use of TIS 998-2553 (2010) for plastic containers for drinking water with a capacity of no more than 20 liters (L).

This Thai industrial standard (TIS), attached to WTO document number 24-8538, was first issued in 1990 and has been amended to reflect changing safety requirements. The latest version of the standard was established from several standards from China, Japan and Thailand. It:

Exempts plastic canteens from the scope of products
Requires containers and caps or stoppers to be manufactured from polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polycarbonate (PC) or polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) materials and must be labeled as such
Establishes two sets of chemical specifications for each of the seven types of plastic (sections 6.3.3 and 6.3.4)
Requires the capacity of containers in 0.25 L, 0.5 L, 1 L, 1.5 L, 2 L, 5 L, 10 L and 20 L.
Details marking and labeling specifications, including the use of the plate with spoon and fork symbol for food contact safe (Appendix B)
Details the physical and performance characteristics of containers
Provides a description of testing procedures (Clause 10)

Highlights of requirements for drinking containers made from PC materials under Tables 2 and 3 (sections 6.3.3 and 6.3.4) in TIS 998-2553 (2010) are summarized in Table A

Scope

Requirement

PC containers for drinking water

≤ 10 mg/dm³ potassium permanganate consumption (water)
≤ 30 mg/dm³ evaporation residue (water)
≤ 1 mg/dm³ heavy metal (as lead, 4% acetic acid)
≤ 2.5 mg/dm³ bisphenol A (BPA, including phenol and p-t-butylphenol, water)
≤ 100 mg/kg for each of lead and cadmium
≤ 500 mg/kg BPA (including phenol and p-t-butylphenol)
≤ 500 mg/kg diphenyl carbonate
≤ 1 mg/kg (tributylamine and triethylamine)

Table A. Requirements for PC under Tables 2 and 3 per TIS 998-2553 (2010)

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