Consumers given right to demand all product data
As part of the new European Union REACH legislation, shoppers now have the right to seek further details on substances and chemicals which have been used in the make-up of an on-sale item, but which are not highlighted in the contents.
In particular, the new EU law includes a “right to know” section which legally requires manufacturers or product makers to provide a response to written questions about a series of chemicals on the official “candidate list” of potentially toxic chemicals within 45 days of the request by a member of the public.
Chemicals on the official list include phthalates, which have been linked to disruption of the reproductive and hormone systems; perfluorinated chemicals, which can affect the immune and thyroid systems; and bisphenol-A, which has been linked to a string of health concerns.
Urging shoppers to use the new legislation to ensure that they are not unintentionally consuming toxic ingredients used in well-known products or their packaging, an umbrella group of health and environmental organisations in Europe has called for consumers to act on their legal entitlement to the “hidden” information.
Dr Liz Cullen, secretary of HEAL and a member the Irish Doctors’ Environmental Association (IDEA), has called on any concerned consumers to contact individual companies and the European Chemicals Agency in writing, if they have any questions over products which may contain potentially toxic ingredients.
