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August 22, 2017

NGOs Call for France to Require Labeling and Restriction of Consumer Products

Lynn L. BergesonCarla N. Hutton

According to a July 12, 2017, press release, a coalition of non-governmental organizations (NGO) wrote to the French Prime Minister and several ministers to call for labeling and restriction of nanomaterials in consumer products.  The NGOs request that three measures be taken “as a matter of urgency”:

  1. Temporarily ban titanium dioxide particles present in E171 dye until the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety (ANSES) working group on nano and food publishes its results.  The dye is used in confectionary, biscuits, sauces, prepared dishes, medicines, and toothpaste, and can be ingested.  According to the NGOs, once the working group completes its work, the ban could be reevaluated;
  2. Better inform consumers through mandatory labeling of consumer products.  The NGOs state that the labeling requirement at the European Union level for food, biocides, and cosmetics is unevenly applied, and they call for the extension of the requirement to other consumer goods in France; and
  3. Ensure traceability of nanomaterials and products containing them by improving the functionality and accessibility of the French register of nanomaterials.

The NGOs state that the establishment of a national strategy on nanomaterials is essential.