Following the mandate given by the European Commission to the SCCS in the context of the safety assessment of substances with potential endocrine disrupting properties, the Scientific Committee has just published its final Opinion on BHT. It was adopted by written procedure on 2 December 2021.
Background
BHT (Butylated hydroxytoluene) (CAS No. 128-37-0, EC No. 204-881-4) is a synthetic antioxidant widely used in a variety of industries, including cosmetics. It is generally used as an antioxidant in a range of concentrations (0.0002 - 0.8%) in a wide range of product types, both dermally applied and sprayable. It is not currently regulated under Cosmetics Regulation 1223/2009.
During the call for data, stakeholders submitted scientific evidence to demonstrate the safety of BHT. The Commission asked the SCCS to carry out a safety assessment on the basis of the information provided.
The Scientific Committee published its preliminary Opinion in September 2021.
For an exhaustive background information, see the articles
• Endocrine disruptors: 1st call for data from the European Commission, CosmeticOBS, 21 May 2019
• Endocrine disruptors: 5 new requests for SCCS Opinions, CosmeticOBS, 15 March 2021
• BHT: the SCCS preliminary Opinion, CosmetocOBS, 4 October 2021
This Opinion has been subject to a commenting period of eight weeks after its initial publication (from 27 September to 23 November 2021). Comments received during this period were considered by the SCCS. For this Opinion, no change occurred.
Opinion
1. In light of the data provided and taking …
