FDA to host cosmetics regulators

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said Wednesday that it will host officials and representatives from eight countries in Taipei from July 9 to 11 for the 18th annual meeting of the International Cooperation on Cosmetics Regulation (ICCR).

ICCR is a voluntary international group of cosmetic regulatory authorities from Taiwan, Brazil, Canada, the EU, Israel, Japan, South Korea and the US.

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

Photo: CNA

Yang said the FDA, which assumed the rotating chairmanship of the ICCR last year, is also scheduled to host an international symposium on July 11.

“The symposium will be attended by industry representatives and official representatives from more than 12 countries,” Yang said, estimating that the symposium, titled “Transformation and Innovation in the Cosmetic Industry,” will attract about 300 participants.

The FDA first joined the ICCR with the Taiwan Cosmetic Industry Association as an observer in 2016 and became an official member in 2020.

FDA Deputy Director General Wang Der-yuan (王德原) also announced that a new cosmetics regulation will be implemented on Monday, eliminating the distinction between general-purpose cosmetics and “special-purpose cosmetics.”

Cosmetics in Taiwan are divided into two categories: general-purpose cosmetics and special-purpose cosmetics, according to the Cosmetic Hygiene and Safety Act (化粧品衛生安全管理法).

The latter include products such as hair dyes and sunscreens.

To achieve simpler and more comprehensive cosmetic regulations, the FDA is expected to insist on a cosmetic product registration system, establish product information files and introduce a designated signatory system for cosmetic safety data, Wang said.