May 29th/2024.
At the Andean region, the harmonization of cosmetic labeling has been evolving, bringing with it new requirements that become day-to-day changes and challenges for manufacturers, importers and those responsible for the marketing of cosmetic products.
The new technical regulation contained in Resolution 2310 of 2022 will come into force on December 17, 2024, so it is important to take into account that by this date the provisions contained therein must be complied with. The purpose of these guidelines is to avoid misleading labeling information, prevent any risk to human health from the use of these products and ensure a responsible choice in the market linked to such information.
In this sense, one of the most outstanding aspects of such regulation is the requirement of the generic denomination that allows identifying the nature and function of the product, which is directly related to the information that is transmitted in the first instance to the consumer. In this aspect, the National Institute of Drugs and Food Surveillance ”Invima” has brought as examples: ”antibacterial gel”, ”anti-wrinkle cream”, ”sun block” (External Circular 6000-000-23). Another important element is the expiration date, which is mandatory when the shelf life is less than 24 months, which becomes valuable when it comes to reviewing the expiration date of the cosmetic since this may impact its safety if its quality and/or properties are affected.
Once this regulation comes into force, the health authority in its inspection, surveillance and control tasks will be able to supervise and verify compliance with the regulations and take preventive actions in case of irregularities, as well as to carry out the necessary sanctioning processes. Consequently, these new provisions once again invite the cosmetics industry to evaluate their portfolios against the new community regulations and to notify the modifications to the corresponding Cosmetic Sanitary Notifications or to maintain until their expiration those that have not been subject to changes, renewals or homologations; to understand what information can be included in complementary labels and/or to become aware of the importance of knowing what the mandatory requirements are and how far the claims attributable to each cosmetic form can go, taking into account the technical support previously authorized and recognized locally by the health authority for its commercialization.