new legislation: implications for AT (long)

[Guest guest]

Good Morning Everyone,

This is a post from another list I belong to, it is being posted here with the

permission of my colleague Tony Burfield.

Aromatically,

Al Takach, Principal and Founder

Canadian Institute of Aromatherapy

>Fragrance Ingredients as Allergens: Update.

>

>This subject concerns the EU developments with respect to cosmetics and

>perfumes, but I understand that developments are being monitored by the FDA.

>There are repercussions for AT here, which will gradually unfold...

>The subject of allergens in cosmetics & perfumes hit the national news in

>the UK on 12.12.2000 (Radio 4), concerning the information given to

>sensitised consumers, especially with regard to perfume labelling. At

>present as you already may know, in the EC the only requirement under

>Article 6(1)(g) of the Cosmetics Directive, is for & quot;contains perfume & quot;

to be

>indicated on the label, and there is a debate as to whether this is now

>sufficient.

>During the past several months there has been some activity on SCCNFP's

>position whereby several fragrance ingredients are considered allergens, and

>thereby should be classified as skin sensitisers by the EU's Dangerous

>Substances Directive. Some of the previous history these events can be

>followed on www.atlanticinstitute.com under safety, although this site is

>still being developed. I considered the subject so serious, I devoted 10

>minutes of my NAHA workshop in Seattle, on Odour Profiling of Essential

>Oils, to these very developments.

>A number of substances that occur in essential oils are covered by this

>list, including coumarin, eugenol, geraniol, citronellol, cinnamic aldehyde,

>isoeugenol, anisyl alcohol, benzyl benzoate, d-limonene, farnesol, linalol,

>benzyl salicylate, benzyl cinnamate etc. There is a proposition that these

>ingredients would carry changes of labelling with respect to Risk phrases,

>for example eugenol would carry risk phrases R38-43. As has been previously

>mentioned, the occurrence of linalol and limonene is ubiquitous in essential

>oils at least, so the implications are far-reaching. At present the wording

>of the discussions has been couched in terms of synthetics, but for hazard

>labelling of perfume mixtures, all ingredients have to be considered i.e.

>the linalol contained in lavender oil presumably cannot be discounted just

>because it is part of an essential oil. This change of status will have a

>direct bearing on perfume compounds produced by fragrance houses, and must

>have implications for essential oil blends used by AT's as well in my

>opinion, perhaps for single essential oils as well. (At least this is how

>fragrance clients of aroma houses are interpreting it).

>The role of IFRA has also been discussed, following the publication of a

>proposed list of materials published by SCCNFP of materials not to be used

>in cosmetic products. These include verbena essential oils and derivatives

>(i.e. concrete and absolute), alantroot oils and derivatives chenopodium oil

>and fig leaf preparations (already banned IFRA). The discussion has centred

>around the need for SCCNFP to bring out a list anyway, since the IFRA regs

>are already seen by some as perfectly adequate, and have been in operation

>for 25 years. There has also been some discussion as to whether the IFRA

>guidelines should be part of the EU-Cosmetics Directive.

>I will try and produce another update shortly, showing the confusion in our

>own camp, where I believe leading aromatherapy commentators (who are not

>toxicologists nor are well versed in health and safety matters) are giving

>views and advice, and publishing material contrary to the spirit of these

>developments. Basically we are now into position taking: I believe we need

>to discuss and possibly distance ourselves from these individuals, or

>regulation will be imposed on us. It may already be too late.

>As I have a need to get things like the above brief report up temporarily on

>a website pretty quickly, can anyone help here? You might find my views

>rather more strongly put than previously, but as Mr. Zimmerman once said

> & quot;the hour is getting late & quot;....

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