EWG Takes Aim At Cosmetics Self-Regulation Under New Administration
This article was originally published in The Rose Sheet
Executive Summary
With Barack Obama in the White House and the Democrats the majority party in Congress, the Environmental Working Group has the self-regulatory regime for cosmetics in its crosshairs
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With Barack Obama in the White House and the Democrats the majority party in Congress, the Environmental Working Group has the self-regulatory regime for cosmetics in its crosshairs. "What we'll see is more opportunity to end the system of self-regulation that this industry has enjoyed for as long as anyone can remember," EWG President Ken Cook said in a Nov. 12 interview. The public watchdog will step up its efforts with allies in Congress - Cook cited Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) and Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) in particular - and will look for a "friendly ear" or two among members of the incoming Obama administration, the EWG chief said. "Once it's given some air time, we don't think it would be too much trouble to get improvements put into law," he said. Cook noted that EWG would extend an invitation to the Personal Care Products Council and to personal-care companies to join in calling for independent oversight of the industry, as well as in establishing what constitutes "safe" in the context of cosmetics. However, Cook suggested that most players in the cosmetics industry seem satisfied with the status quo. "I like to think that we're heading into a fight," he said. In its lobbying to date, EWG has raised questions about the safety of targeted personal-care ingredients to substantiate its appeal for tighter government oversight. In October, the group presented findings from a study it claimed demonstrated that teenage girls are being exposed to hormone-altering chemicals (1 (Also see "EWG Appeals To FDA, Pointing To “Risky” Cosmetic Chemicals In Teen Girls" - HBW Insight, 6 Oct, 2008.), p. 3). At the Council's annual meeting early this year, industry consultants from National Media Inc. suggested re-branding the Cosmetic Ingredient Review panel as an independent certification mechanism to bolster consumer confidence in an "era of uncertainty" when self-regulation does not work (2 (Also see "Strategists Question Sustainability Of Self-Regulation In Era Of Uncertainty" - HBW Insight, 3 Mar, 2008.), p. 3). - Molly Laas ([email protected]) |