Textiles Ministry Introduces Quality Control Order For Medical Textiles
The Ministry of Textiles has announced the Medical Textiles (Quality Control) Order, 2023, aimed at strengthening public health and safety. Effective from October 1, 2024, the QCO will set stringent quality standards for critical medical textile products like sanitary napkins, baby diapers, reusable sanitary pads, and dental bibs.
This order mandates that these products meet essential quality benchmarks through mandatory certifications, ensuring consistency and safety. Non-compliance may result in fines and other penalties. Small-scale enterprises, including Self-Help Groups (SHGs), have been exempted from the QCO requirements.
The order addresses the importance of testing for public safety in products like sanitary napkins and baby diapers, which play a vital role in health and environmental protection. The notified standards (IS 5404:2019 for sanitary napkins and IS 17509:2021 for baby diapers) cover key performance criteria such as pH levels, hygiene, bacterial and fungal bioburden, biocompatibility, and biodegradability. Special emphasis is placed on testing for harmful chemicals like phthalates in baby diapers.
From the enforcement date, all products under this QCO will require a Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) license for manufacturing, importing, and selling, ensuring adherence to the highest safety standards.
