We already spoke about this with you last November 7 under this same heading; the market for cosmetics stamped bio and natural with "no preservatives" are the object of special attention at this time by Afssaps and DGCCRF. These two organizations are currently publishing the official results of an investigation by their services into these products, realized in 2008. Here is their official statement:
March 6, 2009
In 2008, Afssaps realized, jointly with the services under the direction of the of the Head office for competition, consumption and the repression of fraud, an inquest of surveillance of the market for cosmetic products carrying the label ‘bio’ and asserting the complete absence of preservatives or certain other substances among them (parabens, phénoxyéthanol). Within the framework of this joint investigation the laboratories of Afssaps were brought in to verify on one hand, conformity of the chemical composition to the information reproduced on the labelling, and on the other hand, respect for the standards as regards antimicrobial protection.
Preservatives are used in cosmetic products to avoid bacterial proliferation. Industrialists within the cosmetic sector can only resort to preservatives specified in a list appearing in appendix 6 of cosmetic directive 76/768/CE included in the February 6, 2001 decree, limiting the list of preservatives which cosmetic products can contain.
Products marketed with the mention ‘bio’ respond to conditions which are proper to them but, in general, they exclude a majority of preservatives authorized by European regulation. This signifies however products evaluated, controlled and inspected by l' Afssaps or the DGCCRF, the same as other cosmetic products to ensure that …
