The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), responsible for regulating sunscreen products in Australia, has just announced the update of its Sunscreen Standard, which lists the testing and labelling requirements for sunscreen products sold in the country, as well as the dates on which it will come into force.
In 2021, Standards Australia published the “Australian/New Zealand Standard (AS/NZS) 2604:2021” (2021 Sunscreen Standard), revising the 2012 text currently in force.
Following the consultation periods, the TGA has just announced its adoption, with the following transition periods:
• Starting from 1 July 2024, all new sunscreen products included in the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods (ARTG) must comply with the 2021 Sunscreen Standard.
• Existing aerosols and spray pump packs included in the ARTG prior to 1 July 2024 will have a 1-year transition period to comply with the new labelling requirements in the 2021 Sunscreen Standard.
• All existing sunscreens products (aerosol and non-aerosol) included in the ARTG prior to 1 July 2024 will have a 5-year transition period where they can comply with the testing requirements of the 2021 Sunscreen Standard or previous standard (2604:2012).
After the transition period, all existing sunscreen products included in the ARTG and any new products released for supply must comply the 2021 Sunscreen Standard.
Compared with the rules laid down in 2012, the 2021 Sunscreen Standard introduces a number of new features, including:
• the transition from ISO 24444:2010 to ISO 24444:2019 for determining SPF in-vivo
• the transition from standard 24443:2012 …
