Intertek Assures Continued Market Access to the European Union for Cosmetics Manufacturers

London, United Kingdom, July 11, 2010 --(PR.com)-- In December 2009, the European Union ("EU") published Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 in its Official Journal.* This Regulation, a recast of the 34-year-old Cosmetics Directive 76/768/EEC, is intended to simplify the regulatory framework for cosmetic products such as make-up, soaps, perfumes, hair products, and face creams. Any manufacturer selling or exporting these products into the EU will need to meet the requirements of the new Regulation, most of which take effect on 11 July 2013.

Article 8 of the Regulation specifies that cosmetic products must be manufactured in compliance with good manufacturing practices ("GMP"). The GMP standard recognized by the EU for the cosmetic industry is ISO 22716:2007. ISO 22716 introduces a management systems approach to documenting and regulating the production, control, storage, and shipment of cosmetic products.

Although the EU's GMP requirements do not take effect for three years, some cosmetics manufacturers could already be running out of time to proactively address them. In some cases, implementing an ISO 22716-compliant management system could take as long as two years; then, cosmetics manufactured under the new management system could take another year to 18 months to reach store shelves. Therefore, manufacturers should attend to this important issue now in order to avoid any loss of market approval.

Intertek, a leading global provider of quality and safety solutions, is well prepared to help cosmetics manufacturers meet the EU's new requirements. With a full compliance solution for ISO 22716 including auditing, gap analysis and certification, Intertek provides in-depth knowledge of manufacturing processes and GMP codes. Additionally, as a leading global certification body, Intertek can combine an ISO 22716 audit with audits to other standards (such as ISO 9001 and ISO 14001), resulting in lower certification costs and fewer interruptions to the organization.

By joining its ISO 22716 services with its full suite of product testing services, Intertek offers a "one-stop-shop" compliance solution for cosmetics manufacturers. The company’s cosmetics testing services include clinical trials and research studies, safety assessments, raw material quality assurance, product claims verification, screening for restricted substances, and suppliers' audits.

"With our high level of technical expertise, Intertek is the ideal partner to provide cosmetics manufacturers with the validated information they need to make measurable improvements to the business," stated Calin Moldovean, president of Intertek's Systems Certification group.

* Note: This Regulation may be accessed online at: http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2009:342:0059:0209:EN:PDF

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