French Officials To Assess the Safety of Cosmetics

2008-11-26 | 01:54

To evaluate the risks posed by cosmetics during pregnancy and for children.

France’s health minister will evaluate the health risks for cosmetics used by children and pregnant women, and may introduce a logo for products that are considered toxic to reproduction.

During a conference on Tuesday, Roselyne Bachelot said she is instructing government agencies to research the toxicity of certain chemical substances, particularly with respect to reproductive issues. AFSSAPS, or the French Health Products Safety Agency, will evaluate the risks posed by cosmetics during pregnancy and for children, for example.

“I’m thinking notably of cosmetics distributed in maternity wards,” said Ms. Bachelot, according to a copy of her speech posted on a government website. She added she aims to make information on the potential risks of using products containing certain chemicals available to pregnant women and women planning to have children.

The Fédération des Entreprises de la Beauté, a French trade association that represents the 300 companies with 97% of the beauty sector’s turnover, said it will work with health authorities on the issues raised.

"Even if the cosmetics industry was not consulted on the subject of the measures announced by the health minister, Madame Roselyne Bachelot, it obviously is ready to collaborate with the health authorities, as it has done for decades," the association stated.