Kuwait bans cosmetic fragrant lilial following EU carcinogen classification

28 Nov 2022 --- The Kuwaiti Union of Consumer Cooperative Societies has withdrawn cosmetics and personal care products that contain butylphenyl methylpropional – trade name lilial – and its derivatives as they are classified as carcinogens by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA).

According to the Toxic Free Foundation, lilial is a fragrance ingredient, widely used in fragrance compounds. It is found naturally in the essential oil of chamomile and is used synthetically in a variety of beauty products, including perfumes, shampoos, deodorants, tanning lotions and hairstyling products, primarily for its Lily of the Valley aroma.

The ingredient has been banned in the EU since March 2022 and in the UK since October due to its reprotoxic properties. ECHA details that the ingredient may damage fertility and is suspected of harming a fetus. It also identifies the substance as harmful if swallowed, displaying long-lasting effects on aquatic life and causing skin irritation and allergic reactions.

The head of the Union of Consumer Cooperative Societies, Ali Al-Fahad, announced that the decision came under the directives of the Minister of Social Affairs and Community Development and State Minister for Women and Childhood Affairs May Al-Baghly.Kuwaiti union has prepared an organized work plan for inspection visits in associations to ensure that the markets follow up on the decision.

The union has prepared an organized work plan for inspection visits in associations to ensure that the markets follow up on the decision according to a precise timetable, while clarifying the danger of this substance to the health and safety of consumers and warning against its circulation, he adds.

These inspection visits come within the control efforts implemented by the union to reach a safe consumer market for all and to ensure that suppliers comply with consumer protection laws and regulations, Al-Fahad explains.

Additionally, Mazen Al-Nahedh, minister of commerce and industry and minister of state for communications and information technology issued a ministerial decision banning the import, sale and purchase of all types of cosmetics containing lilial.

Ongoing market withdrawals
The fragrant allergen, lilial, also known as BMHCA, has been rolled back from markets since ECHA declared the ingredient unsafe for use.

PersonalCareInsights previously reported on Lithuania, Sweden and the Czech Republic withdrawing personal care and perfumes containing the chemical.

Moreover, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control banned the United Kingdom Studio 2000 system’s Professional Mouse Pro-Vitamin B5 and Skinlite’s hyaluronic acid X 3 face mask in South Korea due to BMHCA.The next REACH enforcement project would investigate how companies fulfill obligations for products and chemicals import.

REACH enforcement on imported goods
In other EU regulatory news, in its recent November meeting, the Enforcement Forum of ECHA, responsible for harmonizing the enforcement of EU chemicals legislation, agreed that the next Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) enforcement project would investigate how companies fulfill the registration, authorization and restriction obligations for products and chemicals they import from outside the EU.

This subject was triggered by high levels of non-compliance in imported goods detected in previous Forum projects, including a recent pilot project. The pilot found that 23% of inspected products were non-compliant with requirements set by EU law and further controls are necessary.

The project will be carried out in 2023 to 2025 and require close cooperation between REACH enforcement and national customs authorities in the member states.

Edited by Radhika Sikaria

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