Regulatory Review: European Update

The European Union (EU) Commission recently issued guidelines on animal testing labeling and sunscreens. The commission also published an Adaptation to Technical Progress (ATP) further defining animal-based ingredients and bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE).3 France has prohibited one ingredient. Finally, the Scientific Committee on Consumer Products (SCCP) issued a request for public comments on several critical issues. It has been quite a busy time since my last column on EU updates.

Animal Testing Labeling
Updates: The EU issued guidelines1 to clarify to marketers what claims they can or cannot make on their labels regarding animal testing. These claims must be truthful; they must not mislead consumers or encourage unfair competition from different manufacturers.

The claim not tested on animals will be permitted if the manufacturer or the suppliers of all of the ingredients have not carried out or commissioned others to carry out any animal testing on the finished product and its ingredients, including prototypes of both. This claim is not permitted if animal testing was performed on the product by anyone, even if that person was not commissioned by the manufacturers or suppliers to do the testing.