A very interesting article, with a great take away for more general discussion, from the links.
Decades ago, when he was a science adviser at the pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline, David J. C. Constable advised the company to drop triclosan from its consumer health products. Constable left GSK in 2009, and is now the science director at the American Chemical Society’s Green Chemistry Institute. Triclosan is biodegradable, he says, but not in the quantities that have been released to the environment as a result of overzealous consumers demanding more antibacterial products. “Bans become necessary because of the excessive and in many cases, unnecessary, uses of some compounds added in response to consumer fear,” he says.
The notion that antibacterials are added to personal soaps and body products to address the fears of customers. As a reflection on corporate thinking it is a beautiful comment. Where do those fears of bacteria come from in the first place? Reinforced in consumers heads by the very advertising and promotion by the industry, are they not? Marketing 101!
Triclosan was used in body washes and soaps, until restricted by the US FDA in 2017, and as stated still added to toothpaste. The action by the FDA was in respect of possible health risks to the users of products containing triclosan, following studies on mice.
Given the recent billion dollar USA court awarded damages arising from another chemical is the tooth paste business also at risk? There is research and FDA assessment that suggests triclosan could cause health issues in users.
Where in a more general view does this lead?
Dec 2017.
the FDA has issued a final rule determining that triclosan and 23 other active ingredients are not generally recognized as safe and effective for use in certain over-the-counter (OTC) health care antiseptic products because no additional safety and effectiveness data for these ingredients were provided to the agency. Because, however, these active ingredients are not used in the majority of currently marketed OTC health care antiseptic products, the agency expects little change to currently available products. The FDA has deferred for one year rulemaking on six active ingredients (benzalkonium chloride, benzethonium chloride, chloroxylenol, ethyl alcohol, isopropyl alcohol, and povidone-iodine) that are the most commonly used in OTC health care antiseptic products to provide manufacturers more time to complete the scientific studies necessary
Of further concern may be the reliance by the FDA on the manufacturers to do all the research and provide reports a product is safe?
And in a land far far away, what has been our response?