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| Coumarin levels in cosmetics |
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In a press release [1] published on 20 December 2007 the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) calls on cosmetics manufacturers to reduce consumer exposure to the fragrance, coumarin. However, IKW is of the opinion that the coumarin-containing products currently on the market do not pose a threat to consumer health. Particularly products for babies and infants, in almost all cases, scarcely contain any coumarin at all (less than 1 ppm = 0.0001 %).
In response to the news of the problems surrounding elevated coumarin levels in individual foods that emerged over a year ago, the German cosmetics industry already took a number of steps to identify the coumarin levels in cosmetics currently on the market and to document the health safety of these products. Furthermore, extensive up-to-date data on coumarin levels in cosmetics were given to BfR. IKW will examine the BfR recommendations in detail and deliberate on the need for more extensive measures.
The typical sources of coumarin in cosmetics are perfume oils as well as some plant extracts. Coumarin gives fragrances a fresh note similar to hay. The maximum levels of coumarin in certain product categories assumed by BfR in its consideration constitute very rare exceptional cases. In the vast majority of products the coumarin level is far lower – normally by a few orders of magnitude. In cosmetics which contain significant amounts of coumarin (more than 100 ppm in products which are rinsed off or more than 10 ppm in products which remain on the skin), this substance also appears separately in the list of ingredients (using the INCI designation coumarin).
As a guideline for the safe daily intake of coumarin BfR used the TDI (Tolerable Daily Intake) of maximum 0.1 mg/kg body weight which is valid in the European Union. This level was established by the European Food Safety Authority for oral intake. More recent systematic toxicological assessments of coumarin, however, assume a far higher safe value [2]. Furthermore, there are robust scientific indications that the hepatotoxic effects of coumarin observed after oral intake are not to be expected from intake through the skin.
[1] http://www.bfr.bund.de/cd/10569
[2] S. P. Felter, J. D. Vassallo, B. D. Carlton, G. P. Daston, A safety assessment of coumarin taking into account species-specificity of toxicokinetics, Food and Chemical Toxicology 44 (2006), pp. 462-475.
08 January 2008 |
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