In June 2022, the European Commission requested the Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) to issue an opinion on the safety of Silver Zinc Zeolite.
What is Silver Zinc Zeolite (SZZ)?
Silver Zinc Zeolite (CAS 130328-20-0) regardless its beneficial antimicrobial properties cannot be used in cosmetics placed on the EU market as it is listed on Annex II to the EU Cosmetics Regulation.
Apart from the antimicrobial effect provided by the silver ions (Ag+) through interference with some biological processes within the cell membrane of microorganisms, SZZ facilitates the formation of free radical oxygen species (ROS). In consequence, the ROSs might cause physiological changes leading to disease processes.
Silver Zinc Zeolite regulations in time
· December 2015: the Risk Assessment Committee (RAC) within the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) raised awareness regarding the possible damaging effect of Silver Zinc Zeolite (SZZ) on the unborn.
· May 2017: A new annex to the Classification, Labelling, and Packaging (CLP) Regulation covered the optimal percentages of metallic ions allowed to surface-modify LTA framework type zeolite;
· May 2019: The European Commission prohibited the use of SZZ in cosmetic products;
· August 2020: The Safety Assessment Report provided by industry showed that SZZ can be safely used as a preservative in deodorants and powder foundations;
· March 2021: The Biocidal Products Committee (BPC) concluded that SZZ may affect human health and the environment;
· June 2022: The European Commission has requested the SCCS to perform a new safety assessment on SZZ in light on new data generated by the industry.
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Mihaela Idu
Regulatory Affairs Department
11.08.2022
References:
– European Comission. (2022). SCSS – Request for a scientific opinion on Silver Zinc Zeolite. Retrieved on 11/08/2022 from https://health.ec.europa.eu/latest-updates/sccs-request-scientific-opinion-silver-zinc-zeolite-2022-06-22_en
European Comission. (2022). CosIng. Retrieved on 11/08/2022 from https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/index.cfm?fuseaction=search.simple