US cosmetic industry calls for a greater FDA role

The Personal Care Products Council (PCP), a leading trade group representing the US cosmetics industry, has called for a new federal legislation that would strengthen and modernise regulatory oversight of the industry, and create a greater role for the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in assessing ingredient safety for personal care products. “For decades, the industry has had an impeccable safety record under the existing requirements implemented by FDA under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. Our products remain among the safest in the marketplace. Nonetheless, we believe it is time to develop a more contemporary approach that includes a greater federal regulatory role”, says Lezlee Westine, President and Chief Executive Officer, PCP. The Council is seeking to create formal processes for FDA to review ingredients for safety at the request of the public and stakeholder groups. It is also aiming to review all safety determinations made by the Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) Expert Panel since no such FDA processes currently exist.