Cosmetics : the number of complaints has doubled in the United States

ttatty/Epictura

Published the 28.06.2017 at 11h41

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cosmétiqueplainteEtats-UnisFDA

The cosmetic products are not regulated in the United States. Everyone consumes, therefore, at his own risk. And obviously, many Americans are not satisfied. Adverse effects are legion, and the complaints against the manufacturers multiply.

A study published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine reports that an explosion in the number of these complaints. In all, 5 144 of them have been recorded between 2004 and 2016 by the u.s. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the health authority american. This represents approximately 400 complaints per year.
But for the past two years, they flock. In 2015, 706 have been received by the FDA, and the figure has doubled in 2016 (1 591).
The hair care products are those that pose the most problems, with 1 805 complaints registered. Then come the products for the skin (1 148) and for tattoos (388).

The biggest problems have been reported on baby products, intimate hygiene, the hair products, especially dyes.

No regulation

In the Face of these many incidents, the researchers deplore the lack of regulation. The products are put on the market, and the FDA may eventually open up an investigation in the event of repeated complaints. This is what happened to the companies Chaz Dean and Guthy Renker LLC, after receiving 127 complaints for infringements of the scalp caused by hair products.
In France, the placing on the market of a cosmetic product must be validated by the suppression of fraud (DGCCRF) and the national security Agency of medicines and health products (MSNA).

Complaints hidden

The survey of the health care agency had revealed that in reality, the manufacturers had already received over 20 000 complaints on the products concerned, for irritation also, but also for alopecia (hair loss), total or partial !

In 2014, an improvement of the legislation had been discussed jointly between the FDA and industry to increase the safety of cosmetic products. But the bill, written by representatives of the manufacturers, does not correspond to the results of the discussions. The FDA had expressed its “deep disappointment” in an open letter addressed to the lobby of the cosmetics.

In the Face of this upsurge of complaints, the arm of iron could well resume.