IDEA 4th Annual Review Workshop

Method for Dermal Sensitisation Quantitative Risk Assessment discussed at the 4^th IDEA Annual Review Workshop

Luxembourg, 06 March 2017

At the 4^th IDEA Annual Review Workshop, hosted by DG SANTE in Luxembourg on 6 March 2017 the new method for dermal sensitisation quantitative risk assessment of fragrance ingredients (QRA2) was presented. Participants of the meeting included members of the European Commission's independent Scientific Committee for Consumer Safety (SCCS), representatives from the international fragrance industry, from Academia, and DG SANTE and DG GROW.

This was one of the goals of the IDEA project, set up after the publication of the SCCS Opinion on fragrance allergens in cosmetic products of 26 – 27 July 2012 to determine risk assessment methodologies, processes and criteria to identify fragrance allergens of concern. Some 1 to 2% of the EU population is affected by allergies to any of a barrage of fragrance ingredients which most people are exposed to on a daily basis through personal hygienic and cosmetic products.

This annual event serves as a platform to monitor the progress made, exchange views, update the programme and priorities for future work to ensure consumer safety in the area of fragrance allergy whilst providing a framework for innovation and competiveness for the EU cosmetic industry.

The next step will be the assessment of this Quantitative Risk Assessment (QRA2) method by the SCCS. The mandate for such an assessment has been just issued by DG GROW to the SCCS, and the assessment should be completed by October 2017. If QRA2 is positively assessed, this method could be used in the risk assessment of fragrance allergens by the cosmetic industry.

During his welcome speech, Director of Public Health John F. Ryan thanked the participants for their continued engagement and reminded industry representatives that they had a useful tool at their disposal for compiling their dossiers for submission: the SCCS's "Notes of Guidance on the testing of the cosmetic ingredients and their safety evaluation". In addition, he said, the SCCS was preparing a checklist in conjunction with DG GROW that industry could use to make sure their dossiers were complete before submitting them to the SCCS for consideration. The checklist will be published and annexed to the Notes of Guidance at the next update, and will help keep the evaluation process on track, said Ryan.

Dr Ian White, who previously chaired the IDEA Supervisory Board, reviewed the progress made since the IDEA project started and discussed key priorities for the future. Also attending were Philippe Roux, Head of Unit Health Information and Scientific Committees and Donata Meroni, Deputy Head of Unit Health Information and Scientific Committees together with colleagues from the Secretariat of the SCCS.

Minutes and materials of the meeting will be soon available on the IDEA project website.

SCCS Opinion on fragrance allergens in cosmetic products of 26-27 July 2012