Rep. Pallone Keeps After Cosmetics; Edgewell Acquires Jack Black; Coty On Amazon Echo; News In Brief

Rep. Frank Pallone, D-N.J., is asking FDA to investigate Rodan & Fields, LLC, following a complaint lodged with the agency by the Environmental Working Group regarding Prop 65 warnings on the San Francisco company's SPF products containing benzophenone. In his Jan. 25 letter to the agency, Pallone says Rodan & Fields "apparently used false and misleading marketing efforts to dissuade consumer concerns over the safety of a potentially carcinogenic ingredient." Specifically, the congressman's (and EWG's) beef with the Prop 65 warnings provided on the company's website is that they previously linked consumers to the Personal Care Products Council's cosmeticsinfo.org "for information on the FDA's position on benzophenone," suggesting that FDA's stance is the same as PCPC's. (Also see "'FDA' Link In Rodan + Fields Prop 65 Warning Now Goes To The Agency" - HBW Insight, 22 January, 2018.) Pallone says the tactic "at a minimum could mislead consumers and possibly place their health at risk." Rodan & Fields since has changed the link to go to FDA regulations governing OTC sunscreen drug products. EWG also notified California's attorney general, whose office potentially could take an interest given that the Prop 65 regulation allows supplement information to accompany warnings “only to the extent that it identifies the source of the exposure or provides information on how to avoid or reduce exposure to the identified chemical.” (Also see "Updated Prop 65 Warning Options: In-Store, On-Product Or Electronic?" - HBW Insight, 14 September, 2016.)

Pallone's involvement in the issue underscores his continued attention to cosmetics safety issues. (Also see "Rep. Pallone's Push For...