Personal Care Products Council and SAI Global Create First Industry-Wide Supplier Assessment Program

The Personal Care Products Council (the Council) has partnered with SAI Global to create a voluntary, customized supplier training and assessment program designed to verify cosmetic and personal care products manufacturers and suppliers operate in accordance with Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) that promote manufacturing quality excellence.

The “Personal Care Manufacturing Assessment Program (PCMAP)” is based on widely accepted international standards ISO 22716 Cosmetics Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) which provides guidelines relating to the production, control, storage and shipment of cosmetic products.  PCMAP is unique in that it also incorporates key elements of ISO 9001 as well as includes multiple risk level categories where suppliers may be evaluated based on the perceived risk level of the product or component provided.

Quality Assurance leaders from across the industry participated in the creation of PCMAP.  With the objective to reduce wasteful, redundant auditing, the industry recognizes that assessments based on ISO standards will enable both suppliers and their customers to focus on creating the innovative and effective products consumers demand.

Joanne Nikitakis, Senior Cosmetic Chemist at the Council, is the project leader for PCMAP.  Nikitakis explains, “Audit fatigue is a serious issue for personal care manufacturing facilities.  These audits cost time and money for both the company being audited and its customers.” PCMAP will help cut down on audit overload and reduce expenses.

“We are excited to be a partner with the Council in the development of this important program. The needs for supplier assessment and quality assurance are unique to this industry. The program that they use to support this effort should reflect this uniqueness, which PCMAP does,” adds Randall Boyle, Vice President Corporate Development – Americas at SAI Global.

 

SAI Global will launch initial training courses in December 2011 to educate the industry on program elements and to train program auditors. The PCMAP assessments will be piloted this fall with roll out planned for January 2012. The Council is currently recruiting suppliers and facilities to serve in this pilot program. More information on the program can be found at: www.saiglobal.com/pcmap

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Peer- Reviewed Study Confirms No Link Between Real World Use of Antibacterial Soaps and Antibiotic Resistance

Newly published research reaffirms that the use of antibacterial wash products in the home environment does not contribute to antibiotic or antibacterial resistance, confirming previous research that showcased similar findings.  

The study, published in the peer-reviewed International Journal of Microbiology Research, compared the use of over-the-counter antibacterial liquid hand and body cleansers and antibacterial bar soaps – containing the germ-killing ingredients triclosan and triclocarban – against the use of non-antibacterial cleansers.

Lead author Dr. Eugene Cole, who has spent more than 35 years in the field of environmental health research, says the study discounts claims that the use of antibacterial wash products have contributed to the selection and spread of drug-resistant bacteria on human skin.  

Research Protocol

From a pool of more than 450 individuals, 210 study participants were randomly selected, 70 for each of three groups: 1) those that frequently used liquid bath or shower products containing triclosan; 2) those that frequently used bar soaps containing triclocarban; and 3) those that did not use any antibacterial wash products and thus served as the control group.

A standard method for swabbing both forearms of all participants was used to collect samples of Staphylococcus bacteria, which were then tested against several different types of antibiotics that are commonly used to treat Staph infections.

The experimental results showed that there was no increase in the antibiotic resistance of the Staph strains isolated from either group that had been using antibacterial wash products, when compared to those isolates obtained from the control group.  And those bacteria also showed no increased resistance to triclosan or triclocarban.

“There was no statistically significant difference in antibiotic resistance of Staphylococcus isolates obtained from the skin of regular antibacterial wash product users in comparison with non-antibacterial product users,” said Dr. Cole, Professor of Environmental Health Sciences of Brigham Young University’s Department of Health Science.  “There was also a definitive lack of antibiotic and antibacterial cross resistance among those bacteria.”

The research was supported by the American Cleaning Institute (ACI) and the Personal Care Products Council.

“Hygiene product manufacturers and ingredient suppliers continuously review and analyze research and fund new studies to ensure product and ingredient efficacy and safety.  This is part of our industry’s long-standing commitment to product stewardship,” said Dr. Francis Kruszewski, ACI Director of Human Health and Safety. “After decades of use, antibacterial wash products continue to play a beneficial role in everyday hygiene routines for millions of people around the world.”

“Investigation of Antibiotic and Antibacterial Susceptibility and Resistance in Staphylococcus from the Skin of Users and Non-Users of Antibacterial Wash Products in Home Environments” was authored by Dr. Eugene Cole, along with R.M. Addison, Duke University Medical Center, Clinical Microbiology/Infectious Diseases; P.D. Dulaney, Applied Environmental, Inc.;  K.E. Leese, Applied Environmental, Inc.; H.M. Madanat, San Diego State University, Graduate School of Public Health; and A.M. Guffey, Applied Environmental, Inc.

Links to this and other studies demonstrating the safety and effectiveness of antibacterial soaps are available online at www.FightGermsNow.com.

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Statement By Francine Lamoriello, EVP of Global Strategies Personal Care Products Council Cosmetic and Personal Care Product Industry Supports Passage of Columbia, Korea, and Panama Free Trade Agreements

“The Personal Care Products Council applauds President Obama for sending the Colombia, Korea, and Panama free trade agreements to Congress, and urges Congress to pass them.

As a truly global industry, cosmetic and personal care product companies are dependent on open markets and transparent, consistent regulatory environments around the world.  International trade is a critical component to the success of our industry and significantly contributes to our ability to expand manufacturing and employment and support other industries such as advertising, packaging, and transportation. With a $5 billion trade surplus in 2008, the personal care products industry significantly contributes to a positive U.S. balance of trade and promotes continual technological innovation.

Our member companies strive to uphold and surpass the most stringent regulatory and product standards worldwide and are committed to providing consumers with safe, innovative and high quality cosmetic and personal care products, the ingredients for which are globally sourced.”

BACKGROUND:

“U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement. South Korea is one of the top destinations for U.S. personal care products. The United States exported more than $230 million worth of personal care products to South Korea in 2010. Under the U.S.-Korea FTA (KORUS), 23.5 percent of exported products will receive duty free access immediately, with all products achieving it at the end of 10 years.  U.S. companies also will benefit from greater transparency in standards and technical regulations and more frequent dialogue on technical issues between the governments.

“Colombia Free Trade Agreement. Colombia is a fast growing economy that has great potential for U.S. personal care companies. In 2010, U.S. companies exported $73.1 million worth of personal care products to Colombia. Under the U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement, tariffs will decrease to 0 by the end of the 10th year, with more than 43 percent of current exports receiving duty free access immediately.

“Panama Free Trade Agreement. Panama received $54 million worth of U.S. personal care products in 2010. More than 71 percent of those products will receive duty free access immediately. By year 10 of the agreement, all products will receive that same advantage.

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