Brazil Health Agency consults on Mercosur regulatory tool

ANVISA placed on public consultation, the technical regulation of Mercosur, which deals with substances that can not be used in toiletries, cosmetics and perfumes.

The proposal for the new tool establishes a deadline of 60 days for the submission of comments and suggestions made ​​by updating the technical regulation.

The role of ANVISA is to expand discussions on various topics in the area predictability, transparency and stability to the regulatory process of cosmetics in Brazil and this regulation tool, which may need an upgrade, will be open for public consultation as of tomorrow.

Specifically, the proposal will apply for the improvement of practices and procedures for public consultation and monitoring mechanisms and consumer participation in the processes of decision making, such as the deployment of open meetings of the Board.

'New tool will respond to society's needs for greater transparency'

A submission of proposals for legislative acts to public consultation aims to gather information to qualify ANVISA's decision on whether to issue a certain standard, and if editing, to ensure that comments, opinions and suggestions on these acts can be known by the Agency considered in defining the content of the standard.

The deadline for submission of contributions is sixty days, after which will follow again to technical analysis to present the final proposal to be reconsidered by the Board to deliberation.

Thus, it is expected that the use of this new tool will respond to society's needs for greater transparency of the suggestions received and encourage their participation.

The program is also being implemented gradually within the Agency through the institutionalization of new instruments and regulatory practices, such as the 'Regulatory Agenda' and 'Regulatory Impact Analysis'.

Authority cracking down on cosmetics that don't meet the grade 

Back in April the Agency announced it had new regulations restricting the use of four substances in cosmetic products.

Those substances included lead acetate, pyrogallol, formaldehyde and paraformaldehyde, ingredients it had been looking at making significant changes to, since January 2012.

Under the new rules, lead acetate with regards to hair dyes should not exceed a maximum concentration of 0.6 percent, and 5 percent for pyrogallol and formaldehyde and paraformaldehyde are substances currently banned in Brazil as aerosol preservatives, but are being permitted only as a preservative in oral hygiene and other cosmetic products at maximum concentrations of 0.1 percent and 0.2 percent.