Health Canada announced plans to review 22 chemicals that recently were banned by the European Union (EU) and found to be widely used in cosmetics in Canada--including Acid Orange 24, which reportedly was found in 130 cosmetics, according to a report by www.Canada.com. Canada's cosmetic industry regulates itself, and the Health Canada regulating body rarely pre-approves products unless a consumer files a complaint or another country bans the products, claimed the report.
''We don't have a mandatory requirement for all cosmetic ingredients to be reviewed by us,'' said Emily Felisatti, senior regulatory officer in the cosmetics division at Health Canada's Consumer Product Safety Bureau, in the report. ''It's a self-regulated industry for the most part.''
However, Rick Smith, executive director of Environmental Defence, a national advocacy group, expressed concern for the system’s relaxed restrictions. “That system is far too slack and that means the federal government isn't doing enough to protect citizens from chemicals that are unsafe and may even cause cancer,” said Smith, in the report. ''One of the major sources of pollution and of human-health impacts is pollutants in consumer products, like hair dye and many other consumer products.''
The EU banned the substances in July reportedly as part of a strategy to create a list of hair dye ingredients that are considered safe for human health. The ban was recommended by scientists after a study indicated that long-term use of certain hair dyes may increase the risk of bladder cancer.
According to the report, the following 22 substances will reviewed by Health Canada:
6-Methoxy-2,3-pyridinediamine and its HCl salt
2,3-Naphthalenediol
2,4-Diaminodiphenylamine
2,6-Bis(2-Hydroxyethoxy)-3,5-pyridinediamine
2-Methoxymethyl-p-aminophenol
4,5-Diamino-1-methylpyrazole and its HCl salt
4,5-Diamino-1-((4-chlorophenyl)methyl)-1H-pyrazole sulfate
4-Chloro-2-aminophenol
4-Hydroxyindole
4-Methoxytoluene-2,5-diamine and its HCl salt
5-Amino-4-fluoro-2-methylphenol sulfate
N,N-Diethyl-m-aminophenol
N,N-Dimethyl-2,6-pyridinediamine and its HCl salt
N-Cyclopentyl-m-aminophenol
N-(2-Methoxyethyl)-p-phenylenediamine and its HCl salt
2,4-Diamino-5-methylphenetol and its HCl salt
1,7-Naphthalenediol
3,4-Diaminobenzoic acid
2-Aminomethyl-p-aminophenol and its HCl salt
Solvent Red 1 (CI 12150)
Acid Orange 24 (CI 20170)
Acid Red 73 (CI 27290)
-Canada.com
