The Swedish Medical Products Agency (MPA) hosted the 12th meeting of the European Network of Official Cosmetics Control Laboratories (OCCLs) on 17 and 18 October 2023. The meeting brought together 43 participants from national authorities in 24 countries, attending both on site and online.
Observations and results from testing samples of teeth whitening products and skin bleaching products were shared.
Concerns were raised about nail varnishes contaminated with carcinogenic nitrosamines, as well as regarding the poor quality of cosmetics designed to appeal to children. To improve the safety of these products, co-ordinated pan-European product testing initiatives were launched.
Lastly, it was agreed that efforts to test tattoo inks and permanent make-up in Europe and to overcome the related analytical challenges should be stepped up.
A special on-site visit to the MPA’s testing laboratories was organised for the participants, which offered a view of their state-of-the-art facilities and an opportunity to engage with MPA staff working at the laboratory.
The network is co-ordinated by the European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines & HealthCare (EDQM) and provides a platform for knowledge sharing, scientific discussions and collaborative efforts in the market surveillance of cosmetic products.
On behalf of the European OCCL Network, the EDQM would like to thank the Swedish Medical Products Agency for the excellent organisation of the event.
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