FDA and EU compliant Eurofins offer tests for contested cosmetic ingredients

01 Dec 2022 --- As the safety requirements of ingredients used in cosmetics tighten, Eurofins, the international product and labels verifier, has offered products and label tests that meet the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and European Commission (EC) regulations for benzene, zero waste claims and allergens.

Launching products that meet regulations and are safe for the end user is one of the significant challenges faced by the industry, highlights Eurofins.

Alleged carcinogenic benzene
The controversial chemical benzene is known to cause cancer in humans, according to the World Health Organization, the International Agency for Research on Cancer and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Moreover, Eurofins highlights that studies have proven that exposure to benzene through inhalation, skin absorption, oral ingestion or eye contact “poses significant health hazards.”

However, the FDA has set minimum testing standards that companies must follow as the ingredient is recognized as a “Class 1 solvent” that should not be used due to its toxicity. Hence, the agency relies on manufacturers to ensure product safety.Eurofins is offering a cost-efficient modular testing system to support the demands of its customers.

In recent news, many Bed Head, Dove and Tresemmé dry shampoo aerosol products produced before October 2021 were recalled by Unilever Canada due to potentially elevated levels of benzene. The company reported 1,574,426 units of the affected product were sold in Canada between January 2020 and October 2022.

“Unilever does not use benzene as an ingredient and has strict quality controls to limit trace amounts that could occur due to its natural presence in certain raw materials. An internal investigation identified the propellant as the source, and the company has worked with its propellant suppliers to address this issue,” Unilever Canada previously told PersonalCareInsights.

Additionally, Banana Boat’s internal analysis revealed that tiny quantities of benzene were found in various batches of its Hair & Scalp Sunscreen Spray SPF 30. The company voluntarily recalled its stock.

Cases in the industry are pointing to a need to ensure that products are not tainted with benzene. Eurofins offers the full suite of testing necessary to ensure that products are compliant, of a high quality, safe and performant.

The company offers benzene testing for an assortment of aerosol products and can develop specific protocols to meet your needs at a “very low” detection limit. Eurofins also works with companies to identify and mitigate production processes that can lead to benzene formation.  

EU allergens testing
A recent draft by the EC listed 56 ingredients to be added to the cosmetic Regulation 1223/2009, summing up more than 80 fragrances, individually required to be declared as allergens “if their concentration exceeds 0.001% in leave-on products and 0.01% in rinse-off products.” 

Eurofins is offering a cost-efficient modular testing system to support the demands of its customers. 

The company is also a key member of the European Committee for Standardization (CEN) workshop and so has installed a state-of-the-art GC-MSD method in the laboratory, according to the latest edition of the norm DIN ISO EN 16274 (Methods for analysis of allergens – Quantification of suspected fragrance allergens in consumer products). 

The GC-MSD method is a way to identify unknown substances or contamination.Eurofins offers benzene testing for an assortment of aerosol products and can develop specific protocols to meet your needs at a “very low” detection limit.

“The analysis will be carried out depending on the product type and its analytical requirements, achieved by offering a routine analysis that can also support extended requests within an appropriate time frame,” says the company.

“Using the CEN method, compliant with the legislation and tailored to the client’s needs, the laboratory analyzes 57 fragrance substances in addition to the “classical” 26 allergens, thereby covering the upcoming expected candidates of the amended Annex III.”

Eurofins notes that there is a gap between allergens included in the Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety 1459/11 Opinion and those covered by the CEN scope.

There remains a gap between allergens included in the SCCS/1459/11 Opinion and those covered by the CEN scope. As a result, the laboratory has launched an additional testing package consisting of 26 allergens.

Zero waste claims
Eurofins Assurance is offering the new Zero Waste to Landfill Certification Service. This will help companies to act on their waste reduction commitments and achieve UN Sustainable Development Goals cost-effectively.

They highlight that the beauty industry has been making strides in introducing more environmentally-friendly ingredients, materials and processes due to the urgent climate crisis.

In this scenario, measuring and reducing solid waste disposal in the production phase is “very important,” and landfill pollution worsens the ecological crisis.

Eurofins has designed a certification for different industries, including the cosmetic and personal care sectors. The process takes a “laser-focused” approach to verify company efforts to minimize waste disposal to landfills. 

“Upon completion of the whole audit process, the businesses will be awarded Zero Waste to Landfill Certificates, which will be valid for 12 months,” says Eurofins.

Lastly, companies can leverage findings from reports to identify improvement areas and increase transparency to the public, as it will be based on facts and certifications. Verification by certificates is increasingly becoming important as regulations are tightening for corporate diligence.

By Venya Patel