Danish Retailer To Ban PFAS in Cosmetics

Danish retailer Coop Denmark says it has informed all its suppliers that all purchases of cosmetic products containing fluorinated substances will be discontinued with immediate effect, even those from international brands. As a result all such affected products are phased out by September 9 2019, according to Coop, which is based in Copenhagen.

Fluorinated compounds, also known as PFAS (Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), are suspected of affecting humans, animals and the environment, and have been associated with cancer, endocrine disruption, obesity, increased risk of miscarriage, weakened immune system and more, noted Coop.

Coop Denmark is one of Denmark’s largest retailers of fast moving consumer goods. It operates Kvickly, SuperBrugsen and Dagli'Brugsen retail chains, coop.dk and the subsidiaries fakta A/S and Irma A/S. Together with the co-operative societies Coop has 1,050 stores all over Denmark.

“Cosmetics are products that come into direct contact with your skin and which contain substances from the highly criticized group of fluorinated substances, the PFAS. Research shows that these substances can negatively affect our health and the environment. They are also extremely slowly degraded and therefore accumulate in the environment. We should not be using these fluorine substances in everyday products when it is fully possible to produce quality products without” said quality manager Malene Teller Blume, Coop Denmark.

The retailer said it is taking the step on the “basis of a precautionary principle.” that we now