Meeting of the BfR Commission for Cosmetic Products
Jun 20, 2024 - Cosmetics
Meeting of the BfR Commission for Cosmetic Products
The Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) is advised by voluntary, independent expert committees on a wide range of issues. The BfR Commission for Cosmetic Products provides advice on questions related to cosmetics.
In its 29th meeting, the commission addressed two issues:
Developmental Neurotoxicity of Fluoride:
According to various media reports, fluoride is suspected of acting as a developmental neurotoxin for humans, in particular, it is associated with impaired intelligence development. These statements are based on several studies and publications. In this regard, the German Research Foundation (DFG) has provided a statement as part of its activities in the Senate Commission on Food Safety. The DFG Commission concluded that the studies presented mostly have significant methodological deficiencies and therefore do not comply with recognized standard quality guidelines. Studies that comply with the guidelines, on the other hand, do not demonstrate an association between fluoride and reduced intelligence. According to the DFG Senate Commission, the overall body of evidence is insufficient to consider fluoride as developmentally toxic to humans.
Evaluation of p-Anisic Acid as a Multifunctional Substance:
p-Anisic acid is widely used in cosmetic products and, according to the CosIng database, functions as a masking agent. It is known that p-anisic acid also has preservative properties. However, the substance is currently not listed in Annex V for approved preservatives in cosmetic products of Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009. Legally, the use of p-anisic acid for the sole purpose of preservation in cosmetic products is currently not permitted. However, there is reasonable suspicion that p-anisic acid is used for precisely this purpose in concentrations of up to 0.2%, particularly in water-based natural cosmetics that do not contain other approved preservatives. Therefore, a safety assessment is also required for multifunctional components such as p-anisic acid, although currently only the cosmetic product in which the substance is used is considered. The Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) thus demands an aggregated exposure assessment for p-anisic acid that covers all cosmetic product groups in which the substance can potentially be used.
Sources: www.bfr.bund.de