FDA ICCR focuses in on nanomaterials and test alternatives
The FDA’s release of the three from the ICCR, which was held in July 2013 in Japan, allows industry leaders to get an eye in on recent developments in regulation and safety, and serve as a reference guide.
The ICCR is an international group of regulatory authorities for cosmetics from Canada, the European Union, Japan, and the United States, seeking to promote regulatory convergence, while maintaining global consumer protection and minimizing barriers to international trade.
It aims to “facilitate the exchange of scientific information, to have some transparency, and to accept certain standards that could be equivalent across the globe” according to Linda Katz, director for the Office of Cosmetics and Colors, and head of the FDA's delegation for ICCR.
Nanomaterial safety
The released document details the ICCR Joint Regulator-Industry Working Group’s review of the existing safety approaches in regard to the use of nanomaterials in cosmetics, which sought to identify any specific aspects relevant to consumer safety.
Entitled ‘Safety approaches to nanomaterials in cosmetics’, it details the latest international consensus on available safety assessments.
It states that in general, the existing methods used for toxicological study of conventional materials can be applied, but some methods may need adapting to account for the distinctive physiochemical characteristics and behavior of nanomaterials.
Testing alternatives
The two other documents released are an inventory and a table of validated alternatives to animal testing for cosmetic products/ingredients.
The ICCR intends the reports to provide an easily accessible inventory of cosmetics testing methods, which are recognized by ICCR as validated alternative methods to animal testing, applicable to cosmetics in each of the four regions covered by the alliance.
This inventory will be updated every 6 months by the ICCR body, in partnership with the International Cooperation on Alternative Test Methods, and will serve as a basis for further discussions and possible development of guidance on the use of alternative methods in safety assessment.
This year’s ICCR will be held in Ottawa, Canada in July of 2014.
