Abstract
We investigated the Rapid Alert System (RAPEX) database from January 2008 until week 26 of 2014 to give information to consumers about microbiologically contaminated cosmetics and over-preserved cosmetic products. Chemical risk was the leading cause of the recalls (87.47%). Sixty-two cosmetic products (11.76%) were recalled because they were contaminated with pathogenic or potentially pathogenic microorganisms. Pseudomonas aeruginosa was the most frequently found microorganism. Other microorganisms found were: Mesophilic aerobic microorganisms, Staphylococcus aureus, Candida albicans, Enterococcus spp., Enterobacter cloacae, Enterococcus faecium, Enterobacter gergoviae, Rhizobium radiobacter, Burkholderia cepacia, Serratia marcescens, Achromabacter xylosoxidans, Klebsiella oxytoca, Bacillus firmus, Pantoea agglomerans, Pseudomonas putida, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Citrobacter freundii. Nine cosmetic products were recalled because they contained methylisothiazolinone (0.025%–0.36%), benzalkonium chloride (1%), triclosan (0.4%) in concentrations higher than the limits allowed by European Regulation 1223/2009. Fifteen products were recalled for the presence of methyldibromo glutaronitrile, a preservative banned for use in cosmetics. Thirty-two hair treatment products were recalled because they contained high concentrations of formaldehyde (0.3%–25%).
Highlights
The European Commission (EC) has an early warning system for safety management called theRapid Alert System (RAPEX)
Cosmetic products are recognized to be substrates for the survival and development of a large variety of microorganisms, since they posses some of the nutrients that facilitate growth such as water, lipids, polysaccharides, alcohol, proteins, amino acids, glycosides, peptides and vitamins [2]
The risks of recalled cosmetic products were divided in two categories: chemical and microbiological
Summary
The European Commission (EC) has an early warning system for safety management called the. Dangerous cosmetic products pose a risk to the consumers due to the presence of certain substances which are banned or the use of which is restricted in these products under cosmetic legislation [1]. The presence of pathogenic microorganisms in cosmetic products can pose a health risk for consumers. The use of preservatives, Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and quality control programs has improved the quality, but several studies have reported cases of contaminated cosmetic products [3,4,5,6,7,8]. Products intended for use on babies and the eye area (category 1) should have not more than 102 Cfu/g or mL of aerobic mesophilic microorganism In recent years a significant increase in cases of methylisothiazolinone contact allergy (MI) has been reported [17,18,19,20,21]
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