Commission calls for data on child-appealing chemical consumer products

The European Commission’s Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety has launched a consultation on the risks of certain consumer products. They call for the submission of information on potential health risks posed by food-imitating and child-appealing chemical consumer products, such as shower gels, shampoos, body lotions and soaps.

The submissions deadline is 3 July.

Food-imitating and child-appealing chemical consumer products, such as shower gels, shampoos, body lotions, soaps, liquid soaps and dish-washing liquids are common on the European market. These products resemble foodstuffs or are child-appealing due to their presentation – for example their shape, colour, odour, etc. In particular, food-imitating or child-appealing chemical consumer products may lead consumers and especially vulnerable people, such as children or elderly people, to ingest them. These products may pose a risk to the health of consumers, whether it be because of their toxic properties, be it from other characteristics.

The European Commissions Directorate General for Health and Consumers (DG Sanco) has requested the Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) to assess the potential risks related to such food-imitating or child-appealing chemical consumer products (read the mandate for this assessment here.

DG Sanco have issued a call for information on this subject - interested parties are invited to submit the following:

1) Scientific peer reviewed research papers, reviews and reports related to the following areas:

• Morbidity/Prevalence following ingestion of food imitating/child appealing chemical consumer products

• Information on the product inherent toxicity attributes that contributed to/caused the observed clinical picture

• Information on non-chemical product attributes that may contribute to the food confusing or child appealing effects resulting in ingestion

• Information/analyses on the behavioural aspects of sensitive sub-populations that may lead/contribute to ingestion

2) Other credible scientific information that may not be easily available and which is directly relevant to this issue.

Deadline for submission of information: 3 July 2009

Guidelines for the submission of contributions, containing criteria for the call for information and guidance for submission can be found here.

Contributions should be sent to the following mailbox: SANCO-FIP@ec.europa.eu