EU Scientific committee calls for ban of HICC
Fragrance substance causes allergic reactions, says EU
The European Union’s scientific committee on consumer safety has said fragrance substance HICC (4-(4-Hydroxy-4-methylpentyl)-3-cyclohexene-1-carboxaldehyde) should be banned because it causes so many allergic reactions. The committee has said “the number of cases of HICC allergy documented over the last decade is exceptionally high and that continued exposure…by the consumer is not considered safe even at concentrations as low as 200 ppm (parts per million).” As a result, HICC “should not be used in consumer products…to prevent further cases of contact allergy…”
Meanwhile, the committee also warned that a preservative used by cosmetics manufacturers maybe unsafe and might have to be banned. It was commenting on a variant of preservative Quaternium-15, namely ‘Cis-1-(3-chloroallyl)-3,5,7-triaza-1-azoniaadamantane chloride’. Noting a dearth of information, the committee warned “its continued use in cosmetic products may not be safe for…consumers.
The committee has also warned that it cannot under currently available evidence assess the safety of using widely-used cosmetics and sun-screen ingredient Laureth-7.
