Ah, the Left Coast strikes again! Senate Bill 484, rebaptized as the California Safe Cosmetics Act, was adopted in late 2005, despite the best efforts of the Cosmetic, Toiletry and Fragrance Association, the Fragrance Materials Association of the United States and the Flavor and Extract Manufacturers Association (FEMA) to inject some reality into this measure. The new legislation will take effect in January 2007 and will require the manufacturers of cosmetic products sold in that state to notify California authorities of the presence of ingredients that have been “… identified as causing cancer or reproductive toxicity.” Who could be opposed to such a motherhood-and-apple pie proposal? Well, for starters there is no de minimus concentration below which reporting would not be required. So the tracest of trace levels of substances such as butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) would have to be reported.
Expert opinions: The Road Ahead
Dec 25th, 2008
