Brussels, 23 November 2005 — The proposed reform of EU chemicals policy (REACH) could prevent potential threats to infant health such as the contamination of baby milk products revealed on Tuesday, but will fail to do so unless it is strengthened, health and environment organisations said today.

Italian authorities reportedly seized two million litres of Nestlé baby milk products on Tuesday after tests showed that chemicals used in the labels were seeping through the cartons into the milk. The milk was produced in Spain and sold in France, Italy, Spain and Portugal. The contaminant, isopropylthioxanthone (ITX), is an ink component used in the printing of food carton labels. Greenpeace research has found two producers of ITX in the EU, both in the UK. The packaging was manufactured by Swedish-owned Tetra-Pak in the Netherlands, according to news reports.

Very little information is available about the safety of ITX, which is a chemical produced in quantities below 1,000 tonnes. ITX is commonly a mixture of two isomers to which the US Environment Protection Agency (EPA) has given a high hazard ranking for environmental effects, based on their toxicity to aquatic species. A US report of 1999 noted a case in which six workers exposed to ITX developed skin rashes on the head and neck following exposure to the sun. Industry has not yet provided clear, verifiable information on the health effects of ITX, especially if it is consumed as a contaminant in foodstuffs.

“It is a scandal that an industrial chemical can find its way into baby milk yet there is no available information about its health impacts, but this is typical of over 90% of chemicals sold in Europe and permitted for widespread use,” said Nadia Haiama of Greenpeace. “It is even more shocking that instead of calling for a strengthened chemicals regime, the European Commission led by Industry Commission Günter Verheugen is using every opportunity to reduce its force, in an attempt to please the German chemicals industry.”

“Europe can only expect more chemical health scares if governments refuse to take the greater health and environment concerns of the public into account. It will be a sad day for Europe if governments vote for chemicals industry profits at the expense of the people’s health, particularly vulnerable groups like babies, and environment,” said Genon K Jensen, Strategic Director, European Public Health Alliance Environment Network.