On July 16, 2021, Health Canada opened a public consultation on a proposed amendment to the Canadian Cosmetic Regulations. It is mainly about the principle of mandatory labelling of specific allergens, currently referred to by the generic term “fragrance”. This consultation is open until August 30, 2021.
Health Canada explains that the main objective of this regulatory initiative would be to better inform consumers about the presence of specific fragrance allergens in cosmetics that are currently captured on labels under the word “parfum”. “Disclosure of this information on labels of cosmetics would help strengthen consumer decision-making and help to protect their health,” states the Agency.
The following amendments are thus being considered by Health Canada:
1. Add a requirement to disclose specific fragrance allergens on labels of cosmetic
2. Allow flexibility for the disclosure of ingredients and specific fragrance allergens on labels of small packages
3. Improve oversight of cosmetics by, on one hand clarifying terminology and improving the level of detail for information submitted in a cosmetic notification, in order to facilitate its use for risk management purposes, and on the other hand enhancing compliance and enforcement oversight with regard to who is responsible for responding to evidence of safety requests for cosmetics
4. Address administrative updates
The Agency intends to gather opinions from all affected and interested parties on the following:
• Whether you support the disclosure of specific fragrance allergens on labels of cosmetics
• Whether you support a flexible off-pack labelling option for …
