How are cosmetic products exported abroad controlled by the national authorities of the different countries? At the March 2019 International Meeting, Catherine Apolinario and Marie Magnan presented the results of the survey conducted by Cosmed in 2018 among the cosmetics industry. The aim was to measure the extent of the presence of French companies abroad, but above all to highlight some points of vigilance, by drawing up an overview of the market controls carried out there and by identifying their main themes.
83.9% of the respondents to this survey are located in Europe, mainly in countries bordering France. But they also have a strong international presence where 87.5% of respondents export, particularly to the North American continent (USA and Canada), but also to Asia (China and ASEAN) and the Middle East (Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates) or Russia.
The investigation distinguished between inspections at manufacturing sites and product controls.
12.5% of companies were inspected: a relatively low figure mainly due to the fact that few companies have local manufacturing plants and that foreign authorities carry out relatively few inspections in France.
The USA (37.5%) conducts the most inspections, mainly on the subject of good manufacturing practices for OTC products. Other countries that inspect the most are Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Korea and Israel, the other recurring theme being the control of quality labels (kosher, organic, etc.)
Product controls concerned 34% of companies, particularly in Asia (41.6%) and the Middle East (22.2%), but also in Europe, North America and South America. They include compliance with PIFs (Product Information File), labelling and claims, physico-chemical and microbiological tests, and the dosage of certain ingredients such as preservatives.
It should be noted that not all …
