Gyeonggi Institute of Health and Environment: "Adult Diapers and Mats Are Safe"

All adult diapers and sanitary mats distributed in Gyeonggi Province have been found to meet product safety standards.

The Gyeonggi Institute of Health and Environment announced on December 15 that it had tested the safety of 81 adult diapers and sanitary mats distributed or manufactured in the province this year, and confirmed that all products were in compliance with safety standards.

From January to November, the institute collected 71 adult diapers and 10 sanitary mats from manufacturers and both online and offline retailers. The primary focus of the tests was to determine the presence of fluorescent whitening agents (FWA) and formaldehyde, both of which can cause skin disorders. No cases were found where the safety standards were exceeded.

Gyeonggi Provincial Government

Fluorescent whitening agents are chemicals that make products appear whiter, but prolonged skin contact can cause contact dermatitis or allergic reactions. Formaldehyde, meanwhile, is classified as a Group 1 carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). Because high concentrations can cause nasopharyngeal cancer, strict management is required.

According to current standards, formaldehyde levels are limited to 75 mg/kg or less for adult diapers and 300 mg/kg or less for sanitary mats. In this inspection, all products met these criteria.

Moon Sugyeong, Director of the Food and Drug Research Division at the Gyeonggi Institute of Health and Environment, stated, "Because adult diapers and sanitary mats are mainly used by vulnerable groups such as the elderly, patients, and people with disabilities, even stricter safety management is necessary. We will continue to conduct safety inspections on products distributed in the market to ensure that residents can use them with peace of mind."