ISO 11930:2012: New Standard to Evaluate Antimicrobial Protection of Cosmetics

Sept. 25, 2012 - PRLog -- Cosmetic products are in frequent contact with the non-sterile human skin, thereby becoming easily contaminated by microorganisms. Preservatives are hence commonly added to prevent the growth of pathogenic (disease causing) microorganisms.

Currently, the pharmacopeial method is utilized by the industry as reference in order to determine the antimicrobial protection level of preservatives for the cosmetic products. In July 2012, a new standard, ISO 11930:2012, which is primarily designed for the evaluation of antimicrobial protection in cosmetics and for the determination of the overall preservative protection of cosmetic product, was introduced by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).

Factors such as the addition of chemical preservatives, inherent characteristics of the formula, package design and the manufacturing process generally contribute to the overall antimicrobial effect of cosmetic products. The new standard ISO 11930:2012 outlines the procedure for the evaluation of antimicrobial protection of a cosmetic product by preservation efficacy testing and microbiological risk assessment based on ISO 29621.

Furthermore, the development of the new ISO standard supports the industry in ensuring the quality of cosmetic products and safeguarding consumers’ from the risk that may be caused by presence of pathogens during use.

The latest SGS news bulletin (http://newsletter.sgs.com/eNewsletterPro/uploadedimages/0...) compares the various assessment methods ISO 11930:2012, US Pharmacopeia (USP) and the European Pharmacopeia method for antimicrobial effectiveness testing.

It is of utmost importance that all cosmetic, personal care and household products are safe effective and stable. To ensure a high level of product quality in every area, SGS provides testing, inspection, auditing and consulting services to manufacturers, distributors and importers. SGS’s state of the art laboratories offer custom-made solutions for chemical, biophysical, microbiological, stability and toxicological aspects.

Furthermore, SGS has extensive capabilities in performance testing, claim support studies and consumer panels. The testing is conducted according to customer specific or recognized standard methods, some of which were developed by SGS. SGS cosmetic safety assessors (http://www.sgs.com/en/Consumer-Goods-Retail/Personal-and-...) and other technical experts can support customers by making sure new products comply with regulatory requirements.

For further information on SGS’s services, please contact the SGS experts.

Contact details:

SGS Consumer Testing Services
Ivan Tsui
Key Account Manager
5/F-8/F &12/F, 28/F, Metropole Square, 2 On Yiu Street,
Siu Lek Yuen, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong

t: +852 2204 8374 (ext 1374)
Email: cts.media@sgs.com
Website: http://www.sgs.com/pages/consumer-testing/sgs-consumer-go...

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