New challenges, same vital work! Meet the Scientific Committee that helps keep 'ugly' ingredients out of cosmetic products!
by Qasim Chaudhry, Chair of the Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS)
Europe is a world leader and a dominant exporter in the cosmetics and personal care sector. To maintain this lead, European cosmetic products not only have to be innovative and competitive, but must also meet stringent standards for safety and quality. Both the regulatory authorities and industry are committed to maintaining these high standards, which have become a global benchmark for the safety and quality of cosmetic products.
The safety assessment of cosmetic ingredients controlled under the EU Cosmetic Regulation is carried out by the Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) - an independent committee of experts from different EU countries. It's a thorough process and has to take into account the properties of the ingredients in a cosmetic product, the likely routes and extent of consumer exposure, and the potential for any harmful effects. It must also take vulnerable and high-risk groups into consideration when setting safe limits of exposure.
Conducting these safety assessments has become more challenging in recent years. EU legislation relevant to cosmetics has banned animal testing and the marketing of the products containing ingredients tested on animals since July 2013, so safety data are now increasingly reliant on non-animal means, such as cultured cells and computational models. In addition, there has been an emergence of new forms of ingredients, like nanomaterials, for which research on potential health risks may not yet be widely available.
Keeping up with current legislation is also challenging for public authorities and the cosmetic industry, which is why the SCCS also publishes Guidance documents to help make sure they are in compliance. The SCCS Notes of Guidance provide a detailed framework for the assessment of safety of cosmetics in Europe, and are regularly revised in the light of new knowledge, tools and techniques. Recently, the Committee published a checklist for applicants to help them sending in complete dossiers, which saves everyone time and energy.
The Committee's work helps the Commission to decide whether or not to allow an ingredient in cosmetic products, and under what conditions of use. The aim is to restrict or exclude any harmful ingredients in cosmetics, in particular those that may be carcinogenic, mutagenic, reproductive toxins, or that may persist and accumulate in the body over time.
This work is very much behind the scenes, but it is something that impacts the daily lives of EU citizens. Did you know, for example, that for every hair dye permitted for use in Europe, almost twice as many have been banned on the basis of the SCCS advice? The SCCS has just completed the first year of its new five-year term, with both new and returning members, and it's my privilege to serve as Committee Chair. Collectively, we have a wealth of scientific experience and knowledge, and we're delighted to put it to use in the service of the public.
Replace, Reduce, Refine – the '3Rs principle' is the Golden Rule for using non-human primates in research and testing
On 2 June, 2017, the European Commission and its Scientific Committee on Health, Environmental and Emerging Risks (SCHEER) published the final Opinion on ‘The need for non-human primates in biomedical research, production and testing of products and devices’, which is an update of the 2009 Opinion.
Since 2009, new possibilities for finding alternatives and for further reducing the use of non-human primates have come to light, but the SCHEER recognises that the use of non-human primates remains necessary for certain types of research. When non-human primates are deemed to be irreplaceable in research – and this is to be decided on a case-by-case basis - the SCHEER stresses that the "3Rs principle" must be adhered to.
The 3Rs stand for Replace, Reduce and Refine: Replacing non-human primates with viable alternatives whenever feasible, Reducing the use of non-human primates and Refining scientific procedures and the care and treatment of the animals. Implementing the 3R principle is now required by EU law.
The new Opinion examines various research areas where non-human primates are currently used and looks at the possibilities for implementing the 3Rs in each research area. In total, some 23 recommendations on implementing the 3Rs and on overcoming barriers to doing so are provided.
More information:
- Fact-sheet on alternatives for using non-human primates in medical research
- Web-summary on non-human primates testing
- Full opinion
Are germicidal lights and other UV-C lamps safe?
Ultraviolet C, or UV-C, is produced by the sun and is the shortest of the ultraviolet wavelengths, in the range of 280 to 100 nanometres. The shorter the wavelength, the more impact ultraviolet radiation could have on human health, but natural UV-C is almost entirely filtered out by the atmosphere before reaching the earth’s surface so poses little risk to humans.
Artificially-produced UV-C has been used successfully as a germicide and bactericide for decades and is used for an increasing range of applications, including for disinfecting air systems, wastewater treatment plants and air-conditioning systems. It is also used in food and beverage industrial processes and in hospitals to sterilise instruments, work surfaces and the air. Most of these applications involve sealed-system appliances and do not result in people being directly exposed to UV-C radiation, but the uses and applications for UV-C lamps have been increasing, which also raises the potential risk of health impacts from accidents or prolonged, extensive exposure.
For this reason, the European Commission asked its independent Scientific Committee on Health, Environmental and Emerging Risks (SCHEER) to provide a risk assessment on the use of UV-lamps. In its final Opinion on the "biological effects of UV-C radiation relevant to health with particular reference to UV-C lamps" the (SCHEER) confirms that accidental acute exposure to UV-C lamps can cause skin and eye problems, but concludes that there is not enough data to establish at what exposure-level this type of damage can be caused. More studies on both the general public and on workers in frequent vicinity of UV-C lamps are needed, specifically on the exposure to humans under normal conditions of use and long-term exposure to UV radiation from UV-C lamps.
Hope the best, prepare for the worst: New Guidance provides blueprint for assessing risks during a cross-border chemical health threat
In the midst of crisis, it's not easy to think clearly and act quickly, which is why there are fire drills and why the European Commission has planned ahead for performing risk assessments in the event of serious cross-border chemical health threats.
Decision 1082/2013/EU on serious cross border threats to health lays down rules on how to deal with incidents or alerts of actual or potential serious cross-border threats to health. When a coordinated response at EU-level is required, the Commission needs to know as quickly as possible what the potential severity of the threat is and if there are any immediate public health measures to be taken.
That ad hoc rapid risk assessment is to be prepared by the Scientific Committee on Health, Environmental and Emerging Risks (SCHEER), and to help the Committee to react quickly and effectively, they were asked by the Commission to provide a Guidance outlining the procedure they would follow to prepare a risk assessment in the case of such a threat. This type of threat could be manmade, like a deliberate attack or a cargo train derailment, or natural, like a volcanic eruption.
The resulting Guidance proposes a robust mechanism for effectively dealing with cross border threats to health for rapid independent and authoritative advice in such emergency situations, which includes setting up a permanent Rapid Risk Assessment working group comprising 12 experts.