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NIA calls for clarity in discussions about nanotechnologies

Published: Monday 15 June 2009

‘Industry has been upfront about its use of promising new technologies and that companies go to great lengths to ensure products are safe’, confirms Steffi Friedrichs, director of the Nanotechnology Industries Association, at a Trans Atlantic Consumer Dialogue (TACD) event, held in Brussels on the 10th June 2009.

Under the title Regulating Nanotechnology in Food and Consumer Products:  Developing A Consumer-focused Transatlantic Approach, the meeting aimed to encourage a ‘discussion concerning the regulatory approaches adopted by the EU and US and the necessary steps for ensuring that products containing nanotechnologies are safe and beneficial to consumers. The conference also aimed to help consumer organisations who are starting to work on these issues to further develop their understanding.’

Dr Andrew Maynard, chief science advisor to the 'Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies' at the Woodrow Wilson Center, phrased concern ‘that controversy surrounding nanotechnology – some of which, he says, is not grounded in scientific fact – has led manufacturers to remove any mention of nanomaterials from their products.’ ‘We have seen some companies drop the 'nano' claim while continuing to use nanotechnology. This suggests nanotechnology is going underground,’ he said. 

This concern was echoed by Harald Throne, researcher at the National Institute for Consumer Research in Norway, who said he found evidence that ‘suggests that companies may now view 'nano' as a negative label rather than an added value.’

In response to the lack of clarity and reliable information on the actual number of nanotechnology-enable products on the market, Friedrichs ‘pointed to confusion about the definition of nanotechnology, with some NGOs defining 'nano' as materials smaller than 300 nanometres, while the industry uses the definition of less than 100 nanometres.’ 

'Varying definitions leads to claims that the industry is not open with information. But nobody is lying and nobody is misleading the public or authorities. Let's agree on what we're talking about and work together to inform consumers,’ she said. 

Follow these links to find out more about the TACD event, or to read the full article on the EurActiv.com website.

 

Related Links:
Released on Thursday This week’s decision by the European Parliament to approve the proposed requirements for labelling and notification of nanomaterials in cosmetics puts huge pressure on the industries and regulators. The European consumer association BEUC, however, doubts that a simple notification would automatically guarantee that the respective products are evaluated for safety before reaching the market. (26th March 2009)
 
In preparation of the upcoming European Parliament debate on the recast of the European Cosmetics Directive, German Tagesschau (News) published the reprint of a radio interview (HR) with the responsible European Parliament rapporteur Dagmar Roth-Behrens (German Social Democrats (SPD)) and Steffi Friedrichs, Director of the Nanotechnology Industries Association (NIA). (24th March 2009)
 
The European Commission’s expert Scientific Committee on Consumer Products (SCCP) published their Opinion on Safety of Nanomaterials in Cosmetic Products, adopted by the SCCP during the 14th plenary meeting on 18 December 2007. (3rd March 2008)
 
The UK consumers association WHICH? published a report entitled ‘Small wonder? Nanotechnology and cosmetics’. The report is based on the findings of a survey of 67 cosmetics companies, which asked the companies about their use of nanotechnology, what benefits they thought it brought and how they ensured product safety. (5th November 2008)