Happi Staff03.09.20
The US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) today announced that it had released the final report on talc-containing cosmetic products tested for asbestos. FDA released the AMA Analytical Services, Inc. final report in six parts (see the CFSAN Electronic Reading Room Posting section) from its year-long sampling assignment to test talc-containing cosmetic products for the presence of asbestos. The full results showed 43 samples were negative and nine were positive for asbestos.
The FDA said it will conduct another talc sampling assignment throughout 2020, with 50 additional samples selected for blinded testing by AMA and will communicate any positive results if found. The final results are expected to be released in early 2021.
In a brief announcing the availability of the results, the following statement was attributed to Susan Mayne, Ph.D., director of the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition:
“The FDA is committed to keeping consumers safe from potentially contaminated cosmetic products. As part of this effort, in September 2018, the agency awarded AMA Analytical Services, Inc. (AMA) a one-year contract to test certain talc-containing cosmetic products for the presence of asbestos. We have taken and will continue to take swift action when we determine a cosmetic product is not safe.
“There is general agreement among U.S. federal agencies and the World Health Organization that there is no known safe level of asbestos exposure. Earlier this month during a public meeting, the FDA gathered input from federal partners, industry experts and the public to support the development of standardized testing, methodologies, terminology and criteria that can be applied to characterize and measure asbestos and other potentially harmful elongate mineral particles that may be present as contaminants in talc-containing products or products that use talc as an ingredient. Our work in this area is ongoing and we’ll continue to communicate with the public as we have updates to share.”
The FDA said it will conduct another talc sampling assignment throughout 2020, with 50 additional samples selected for blinded testing by AMA and will communicate any positive results if found. The final results are expected to be released in early 2021.
In a brief announcing the availability of the results, the following statement was attributed to Susan Mayne, Ph.D., director of the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition:
“The FDA is committed to keeping consumers safe from potentially contaminated cosmetic products. As part of this effort, in September 2018, the agency awarded AMA Analytical Services, Inc. (AMA) a one-year contract to test certain talc-containing cosmetic products for the presence of asbestos. We have taken and will continue to take swift action when we determine a cosmetic product is not safe.
“There is general agreement among U.S. federal agencies and the World Health Organization that there is no known safe level of asbestos exposure. Earlier this month during a public meeting, the FDA gathered input from federal partners, industry experts and the public to support the development of standardized testing, methodologies, terminology and criteria that can be applied to characterize and measure asbestos and other potentially harmful elongate mineral particles that may be present as contaminants in talc-containing products or products that use talc as an ingredient. Our work in this area is ongoing and we’ll continue to communicate with the public as we have updates to share.”