CIR Reaches Verdicts on Butyl Myristate, HC Red No. 3 and More

Posted: June 17, 2008

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2. RIFM Interactions

Ladd Smith, PhD, Director of the Research Institute for Fragrance Materials addressed several topics in the ongoing interaction between RIFM and CIR, including dual use ingredients (ingredients that function as a fragrance and, for example, a solvent), the potential for CIR to undertake additional reviews of certain solvent groups, and the nature of the data needed to resolve the benzyl alcohol, benzoic acid and sodium benzoate insufficient data conclusion for products that may be inhaled.

The CIR Expert Panel appreciated the information that the REXPAN committee at RIFM would consider information on nonfragrance use of fragrance chemicals in its safety reviews, suggesting that there would not be a need for the CIR Panel to perform its own review to address the nonfragrance use. Ongoing sharing of information between the programs is intended to further ensure that duplicate efforts are not undertaken to address particular chemicals.

Because the use of certain solvents used in fragrances may increase as the use of others phases out, the CIR Panel encouraged RIFM and the Personal Care Products Council to work together to suggest a group of solvents used in fragrances that could be reviewed by CIR that would proactively address the expected shift in usage.

The CIR Expert Panel stated that a four-week inhalation toxicity study would be adequate to address the data insufficiencies for benzyl alcohol, bnenzoic acid and sodium benzoate use in products that may be inhaled.