Our work
It is imperative that products used on a day-to-day basis by the general population are safe. Unlike in industrial settings, where users are trained and have access to the necessary protective equipment, consumers at home have to trust that the products they buy are safe. We are experienced in the assessment of cosmetics and other consumer products, and can assist with their evaluation before they go to market – for example through screening out undesirable chemicals – and if specific concerns are raised during their lifetime.
Even if they aren’t covered by a sector-specific regulation, companies are still required by the General Product Safety Regulation to ensure that their products are safe for use. This includes an understanding of the risks posed by the product as a whole, but also any potential residual substances that may be present in trace amounts from the manufacturing process. We can assist with the understanding of the health hazards and risks associated with a wide range of consumer products.
Cosmetics
Cosmetic products are often mixtures – and even mixtures of mixtures. This makes carrying out a defensible toxicological assessment very challenging. The ban on testing cosmetic ingredients on vertebrate animals adds a further complication. Through collaboration with our clients, our skills in searching the toxicological literature and carrying out read-across and (Q)SAR assessments, we are able to provide robust evaluations of safety, including for Cosmetic Product Safety Reports (CPSRs) as required in the EU under Regulation (EC) 1223/2009.
Helpful information
The General Product Safety Regulations
Some of our case studies in this area
Literature monitoring and hazard characterisation for food supplements
Case study
The client was interested in the potential adverse and beneficial effects of a number of ingredients found in food supplements and other ingested consumer products. In addition to the assessment of some defined chemical substances, the ingredients under investigation included several plant and mushroom extracts along with their key constituents.
Determining a Specific Migration Limit (SML) for a data-deficient compound identified in food labels
Case study
The client was informed by a supplier that a chemical compound with a worrying structure was present within a food label ink. Click to find out how we dealt with it.
Pod-based ENDS device PMTA assessments
Case study
As part of a Premarket Tobacco Product Application (PMTA) for a pod-based ENDS device, bibra was asked to provide support preparing non-clinical and human health impact assessments.
