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EC Seeks Comments on Zinc Oxide Restriction and Chloroacetamide Ban

October 16, 2015

EUROPEAN UNION - The European Commission (EC) has announced a public consultation regarding the proposed restrictions on the use of zinc oxide as a colorant, and a ban on the use of chloroacetamide in cosmetic products.

  • Restriction of the use of ZnO as a colorant by amending entry 144 of Annex IV to the Regulation
    o   It is the opinion of Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) that the lung inflammation induced by ZnO particles after inhalation is of concern
  • Prohibition on the use of chloroacetamide as a preservative by deleting the entry from Annex V and adding the substance to the list of prohibited substances under Annex II
    o   The proposal comes from the opinion released by the Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) stating that it is not safe for consumers to use cosmetics with chloroacetamide at a concentration up to 0.3%

Deadline for submission of comments is December 24, 2015.