UAE to require labelling of nano cosmetic ingredients
The requirement is the latest of the UAE's efforts to fall in line with EU cosmetic regulation standards to protect the environment and maintain the health and safety of consumers.
According to the Committee, the draft mainly refers to the cosmetics and personal care industry as biocidal, medicinal products and medical devices are excluded from the proposals.
The proposal identifies the stipulations and mandatory requirements for trading or using cosmetics and personal care products in beauty and personal care shops in the domestic market, while ensuring the highest degree of protection for the environment and maintains the health and safety of consumers.
A full view of the draft adressing regulations in this area can be seen here.
UAE making strenuous efforts of late to update its regulations
This proposal comes just months after the UAE notified the World Trade Organization of a new draft on perfume regulation whereby a 26 page document laid out the concerns of the Emirates Standardization and Metrology Authority (Esma), in regards to the offering, trading and selling of perfumes and other related cosmetics products on its markets.
Then Mohamed Badri, Esma director general explained that their main misson was "to emphasize a recognized risk management system for the safe use of fragrance ingredients, to make sure that there is no risk for the consumer or the environment."
The decision to establish new regulation guidelines is said to have come after Esma met with the 'Fragrance Foundation Arabia' to discuss the standardization and regulation points of the cosmetics and fragrance industry in the UAE market, and its role in terms of supporting the national economy.
Nano regulation in Europe...
How well nanomaterials are regulated in Europe is an ongoing debate and the most recent movements in this area included three German government agencies calling on the European Commission to better identify and assess the potential hazards arising from nanomaterials in the future earlier this year.
The Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (BAuA), the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) and the Federal Environment Agency (UBA) proposed introducing reduced registration requirements for nanomaterials from 100 kg/a with details of the substance identity and a characterisation of the different nanoforms, and uses.
Currently REACH regulation already covers nanomaterials as chemical substances which stresses that if nanoscale forms of a chemical substance exist, they should be registered together with the chemically identical bulk material.
