Archives

January 14, 2022

EC Adopts Ban on Use of Titanium Dioxide (E171) as a Food Additive

The European Commission (EC) announced on January 14, 2022, that it adopted a ban on the use of titanium dioxide (E171) as a food additive. The ban will apply after a six-month transition period, and beginning summer 2022, this additive should no longer be added to food products. According to the EC, titanium dioxide “is used to impart white colour to many foods, from baked goods and sandwich spreads to soups, sauces, salad dressing and food supplements.” The...
December 17, 2021

EC Denies Authorization of Titanium Dioxide (E171) as a Feed Additive for All Animal Species, Requires Products Be Withdrawn from the Market in 2022

The European Commission (EC) published a regulation on November 30, 2021, in the Official Journal of the European Union that denies the authorization of titanium dioxide (E171) as an additive in animal nutrition, in the additive category “sensory additives,” and in the functional group “colourants: substances that add or restore colour in feedingstuffs.” Under the regulation, existing stocks of the additive must be withdrawn from the market by March 20, 2022....
October 13, 2021

EC Standing Committee Approves EC Proposal to Ban Use of Titanium Dioxide (E171) as a Food Additive

The European Commission (EC) announced on October 8, 2021, that the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed approved the EC’s proposal to ban the use of titanium dioxide (E171) as a food additive. The EC states that its proposal “is based on a scientific opinion by the European Food Safety Authority, which concluded that E171 could no longer be considered as safe when used as a food additive, in particular due to the fact that concerns regarding...
September 10, 2021

SCHEER Questions Whether Draft EQSs for Silver and Its Compounds Should Address Silver Nanomaterials

On September 7, 2021, the European Commission (EC) Scientific Committee on Health, Environmental and Emerging Risks (SCHEER) posted a preliminary opinion on “Draft Environmental Quality Standards for Priority Substances under the Water Framework Directive” for silver and its compounds. The Water Framework Directive requires the EC to identify priority substances among those presenting significant risk to or via the aquatic environment and to set environmental quality standards (EQS) for...
August 30, 2021

EC Analyzing Responses to Targeted Stakeholder Consultation Concerning Review of Recommendation on the Definition of a Nanomaterial

As reported in our May 7, 2021, blog item, the European Commission (EC) held a targeted stakeholder consultation as part of its review of the Recommendation on the definition of a nanomaterial. The EC held the consultation to update, test, and verify the preliminary findings of its review, gathering further evidence and feedback from a wide range of stakeholders who have a role in application of the harmonized regulatory definition of nanomaterial in the European Union (EU)....
July 29, 2021

France Seeks More Protective European Definition of Nanomaterials

As reported in our May 7, 2021, blog item, the European Commission (EC) recently held a targeted stakeholder consultation to update, test, and verify the preliminary findings of its review of the 2011 Recommendation on the definition of a nanomaterial. According to a July 23, 2021, news item posted by the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety (ANSES), in its response to the consultation, ANSES maintained that the changes proposed by the EC...
July 28, 2021

EC Publishes Report on Use of Nanomaterials in Cosmetics and Review of Cosmetics Regulation Regarding Nanomaterials

Pursuant to Article 16 (10) and (11) of Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 (Cosmetics Regulation), the European Commission (EC) is required to submit to the European Parliament and the Council an annual status report on the use of nanomaterials in cosmetic products and to review the Regulation’s provisions concerning nanomaterials. The July 22, 2021, report includes the following main findings: The report states that aligning the nanomaterial definition in the Cosmetics Regulation with a...
July 6, 2021

EC Requests Scientific Opinion on Fullerenes and Hydroxylated Fullerenes

The European Commission (EC) has requested a scientific opinion from the Scientific Committee for Consumer Safety (SCCS) on fullerenes and hydroxylated fullerenes. According to the request, the EC has received 19 notifications under Article 16 of the Cosmetics Regulation for cosmetic products containing fullerenes and hydroxylated fullerenes. The request states that these ingredients “are reported in CosIng database with the function of ‘antimicrobial’ and ‘skin...
July 1, 2021

Council of the EU Adopts Conclusions on Chemicals to Offer Political Guidance on Sustainable EU Chemicals Policy Strategy

On June 26, 2019, the Council of the European Union (EU) announced that it adopted conclusions on chemicals intended to “offer political guidance on the development of a sustainable EU chemicals policy strategy.”  The June 26, 2019, press release notes that the conclusions address in particular the topics of Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) regulation, endocrine disruptors, nanomaterials, and pharmaceuticals.  According to the...
July 1, 2021

EC Committee Needs More Data to Assess Safety of the Nanomaterials Gold, Colloidal Gold, and Surface Modified Gold

The European Commission’s (EC) Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) published a final opinion on June 28, 2021, on gold (nano), colloidal gold (nano), gold thioethylamino hyaluronic acid (nano), and acetyl heptapeptide-9 colloidal gold (nano). The EC asked SCCS whether the nanomaterials gold, colloidal gold, gold thioethylamino hyaluronic acid, and acetyl heptapeptide-9 colloidal gold are safe when used in leave-on skin cosmetic products according to the maximum concentrations and...