China FDA releases final amended version of IECIC

As we ushered in 2016, the China Food and Drug Administration released the final amended version of the 'Inventory of Existing Cosmetics Ingredients' of over 8,000 ingredients following a request for feedback on changes just over a year ago.

The update includes the addition of nine ingredients:

• harungana madagascariensis extract
• undeceth-3
• decyl isostearate
• tris(PPG-3 benzyl ether) citrate
• chondrus crispus (carrageena)
• raspberry ketone glucoside
• hesperidinase
• PEG-50 hydrogenated palmamide
• PEG/PPG-150/30 copolymer

Striving to fall in line with international practices...​

In China, new cosmetic ingredients must be approved by Chinese food and drug administration authorities.

In an effort to regulate and strengthen the supervision and management of cosmetics, the China Food and Drug Administration has been revising cosmetic health supervision regulations over the last year.

The revision is to bring the China Administration closer to EU cosmetics regulations, making it easier for foreign companies to understand.

For example, the CFDA previously relied on IECIC 2003, an internally circulated list of cosmetics ingredients in determining whether an ingredient is new.

This had proved challenging for the industry due to the limited number of ingredients on IECIC (2003) and the difficulty of getting a new ingredient approved.

To strengthen the safety management of cosmetic ingredients, the CFDA published a consolidated Inventory of Existing Cosmetic Ingredients in China (2014) for public consultation.

Also on top of animal testing alternatives...​

China’s FDA was also quick off the mark in January 2014 as it moved to push a final draft to remove animal testing requirements for non special use cosmetics.

The filing was efficient and highlighted that in comparison to the draft notice, many dates and deadlines have been changed that manufacturers should take note of.

According to CIRS, for many local cosmetic companies that do not have sufficient safety assessment capabilities, this filing means carrying out toxicology tests will be easier to do.

For many foreign cosmetic brands who wish to enter the Chinese market while avoiding animal testing during this approval process, the regulatory body says there may be a way forward for them to achieve both.

The ruling also meant toxicology test reports will no longer be required if companies have the capabilities to conduct their own safety assessment of ingredients to ensure the safety of their finished cosmetic products.