SVHC Candidate List Checker

This SVHC checker screens CAS numbers, EC numbers, and substance names from your product data against the REACH Candidate List of Substances of Very High Concern, so you can flag affected SKUs before they reach a customer compliance request. Paste a column from a spreadsheet or a single substance and get an instant, plain-language match.

What it checks

The checker takes each substance you enter and compares it against the published REACH Candidate List entries. For every row it returns:

• Candidate List match — whether the CAS number, EC number, or name corresponds to a listed SVHC, with the matched entry shown back to you.
• Identifier normalization — strips stray spaces, hyphens, and prefixes so CAS 117-81-7, 117817, and 117-81-7 all resolve to the same substance before matching.
• Match basis — whether the hit came from the CAS number, EC number, or substance name, so you know how confident to be in an exact-name match versus a synonym.
• Reason for inclusion — the hazard category recorded for that entry (for example carcinogenic, toxic for reproduction, or PBT), in plain language.
• No-match flagging — rows that did not match, separated from blanks and malformed identifiers so you can chase missing data rather than assume “clean.”
• Bulk pass/fail summary — a count of listed, not-listed, and unverifiable rows across the whole paste, ready to drop back into your sheet.

How the SVHC checker works

The REACH Candidate List is maintained by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) and updated twice a year, typically in January and June. Each entry carries a substance name, an EC number, a CAS number where one exists, and the reason it was added. Suppliers of articles must communicate the presence of a listed substance above the 0.1% weight-by-weight threshold down the supply chain, which is why distributors in MRO, furniture, CPG packaging, and industrial supply increasingly receive SVHC questionnaires from buyers.

The tool matches in priority order: exact CAS number first (the most reliable identifier), then EC number, then a normalized name comparison for entries without a clean numeric identifier. Because substances often appear under several synonyms, a name-only hit is reported as lower confidence and worth a manual look.

For a one-off questionnaire this is enough. The harder problem is keeping thousands of SKUs continuously screened as the list changes and as suppliers ship new material data sheets. That is a product enrichment job: pulling CAS numbers out of SDS and spec documents, attaching provenance to each, and re-screening the catalog every time ECHA publishes an update — which is exactly what Claro’s canonical product-data layer is built to do.

Related resources

FAQ

What is an SVHC and the REACH Candidate List? +

A Substance of Very High Concern (SVHC) is a chemical that ECHA has identified as carcinogenic, mutagenic, toxic for reproduction, persistent and bioaccumulative, or of equivalent concern. Once formally identified, a substance is added to the Candidate List for authorisation under the EU REACH regulation. The list is the reference set this checker screens against.

How often is the SVHC Candidate List updated? +

ECHA typically updates the Candidate List twice a year, around January and June, adding newly identified substances. Because of this cadence, a catalog that was clean six months ago can contain newly listed substances. Re-screening after each update is the standard practice — verify against the current ECHA publication for the live entry count.

Does an SVHC match mean my product is non-compliant? +

No. A match means a substance in your data appears on the Candidate List. Obligations such as supply-chain communication generally apply when a listed substance is present in an article above 0.1% weight by weight, and notification duties depend on tonnage. The checker surfaces candidates for review; your compliance team confirms the actual duty.

Can I check a whole spreadsheet of CAS numbers at once? +

Yes. Paste an entire column of CAS numbers, EC numbers, or substance names and the tool screens every row, returning a per-row result plus a summary of listed, not-listed, and unverifiable entries. There is no row limit because all processing happens in your browser.

Is my product data uploaded anywhere? +

No. The SVHC checker runs entirely client-side. Your pasted or uploaded data never leaves your browser — nothing is transmitted, stored, or logged — so you can screen confidential bills of materials and supplier files safely.