New recommendation of the DGK specialist group regarding Pluralibacter gergoviae in cosmetics

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Dec 7, 2020 - Cosmetics

New recommendation of the DGK specialist group regarding Pluralibacter gergoviae in cosmetics

Under the leadership of Ms. Joelle Nussbaum from the BAV Institute, a recommendation has recently been published by the DGK (German Society for Cosmetics), Microbiology and Operational Hygiene Specialist Group, on handling risks posed by Pluralibacter gergoviae in cosmetic products.

The basis for this was a recently published statement by the BfR (Federal Institute for Risk Assessment) stating that cosmetics should, in principle, be free of Pluralibacter gergoviae. This microorganism has been known as a contaminant in the cosmetics industry for a long time.

The recommendation clarifies that the BfR statement does not constitute a "new legal regulation". Compliance with sufficient microbiological product quality (requirements of ISO 17516) is state of the art and must always be ensured. It is generally applicable that in the case of any positive microbiological findings, an individual assessment and risk evaluation for the specific product must be carried out.

It should be noted that in the case of product contamination with Pluralibacter gergoviae, consideration should be given as to whether this microorganism should be included in the preservation stress test. This also applies analogously to other microorganisms that frequently lead to product contamination.

Do you have questions about the microbiological quality of your products? Do you need a risk assessment for a specific product?

Feel free to contact your BAV Institute at any time with any microbiological questions regarding cosmetics. We look forward to hearing from you!

You can find the DGK recommendation at the following link.

You can view the BfR statement here.

Source: DGK recommendation, as well as the BfR recommendation