Effective July 1, 2013, New York State law will prohibit the sale of commercial dishwasher detergents that contain more than a trace quantity of phosphorus—defined as 0.5 percent. That said, according to ISSA Director of Legislative Affairs Bill Balek, there will be no change to the phosphorus limits for detergents used to clean dairy equipment or food processing equipment.

Regulations surrounding detergents with phosphate are not new for New York. In fact, the state first prohibited the sale of phosphorus-containing dishwasher detergents for household use on August 14, 2010.

In addition to New York, Maryland also has enacted a similar ban. Effective July 1, 2013, the state will prohibit the use, sale, manufacture, or distribution within Maryland of any detergent for use in a commercial dishwashing machine that contains more than 0.5 percent phosphorus.

For more information on the regulation of phosphorus in cleaning products by state governments, click here.