International Cosmetics Regulatory Group to Meet in Taipei July 9-11

Taipei, June 26 (CNA) The Taiwan Food and Drug Administration (TFDA) said Wednesday that the 18th annual meeting of officials and representatives of eight countries under the International Cooperation in the Regulation of Cosmetics will be held in Taipei from July 9 to 11.

Founded in 2007, the International Collaboration on Cosmetics Regulation (ICCR) is a voluntary international group of cosmetics regulatory authorities from Brazil, Canada, Taiwan, the European Union, Israel, Japan, South Korea and the United States.

ICCR aims to provide its members with a platform to share cosmetics regulation trends and experiences and discuss issues related to the management of emerging cosmetics, said Yang I-chen (楊怡真), a senior specialist in the Medical Devices and Cosmetics Division of TFDA. press conference.

The TFDA, which assumed the rotating chairmanship of ICCR in 2023, will also host an international symposium on July 11, according to Yang.

“Industry representatives and officials from more than 12 countries will participate in the symposium,” Yang said, estimating that the symposium, titled “Transformation and Innovation in the Cosmetics Industry,” will attract about 300 participants.

Yang said TFDA first joined ICCR with the Taiwan Cosmetic Industry Association as an observer in 2016, and TFDA became an official member of ICCR in 2020.

Also at Wednesday’s press conference, TFDA Deputy Director General Wang Der-yuan (王德原) announced that a new cosmetics regulation will come into effect on July 1, abolishing the distinction between general-purpose cosmetics and “special-purpose cosmetics.”

According to the “Law on Hygiene and Safety of Cosmetics”, cosmetics in Taiwan are currently divided into two categories: general-purpose cosmetic products and “special-purpose cosmetics”. The latter includes, for example, hair dyes and sunscreens, which require inspection and registration.

To implement cosmetic regulations more simply and comprehensively, the TFDA will insist on a cosmetic product registration system, establish product information files and introduce a designated signatory system for cosmetic safety data, Wang said.

Meanwhile, the TFDA also announced that new regulations will come into force on July 1, setting or lowering limits on the content of heavy metals in infant food and drinks, animal offal and nuts and oilseeds.

In line with TFDA guidelines, the amended “Sanitary Standard on Contaminants and Toxins in Food” lowers lead content limits and sets new limits for cadmium content in baby food and beverages, lowers limits for lead content in animal byproducts, and for the first time also includes limits for cadmium content in nuts and oil seeds.

TFDA deputy director general Lin Chin-fu (林金富) said baby food is already subject to stricter regulations because heavy metals can affect neurological development and cause lifelong effects.

Lin added that when it comes to animal offal, nuts and oilseeds, considerations are based on the eating habits of Taiwanese people.