JULY 2022

Dear readers,

 

We hope that you are doing well. Since our last newsletter in March, we have been quite active. For instance, we were featured in an Italian coatings magazine “Pitture e Vernici” with a piece on “One substance, one assessment: what it means for microbial control”. We have also been approached by Compounding World to shed light on antimicrobial additives and biocides for plastics.

In addition, we plan to build on our video on the benefits and the essentiality of microbial control, by delving deeper into how biocides relate to health, energy and the protection of materials.

We are also taking the time to step back and refine the objectives of our group based on the present political environment in the EU. For that purpose, we had a productive round table around the future direction for MCEC with Cefic Director General Marco Mensink. Once we have the answers, we will loop you in.

Continue reading to find out what is happening in the EU policy landscape.

José Mosquera (MCEC Chairman) 

MCEC Steering Committee meeting on 15 June 2022, with Marco Mensink - Cefic’s Director General

MCEC Steering Committee meeting on 15 June 2022, with Marco Mensink – Cefic’s Director General

 

#CoatingsNeedPreservatives! A campaign of the European Council of the Paint, Printing Ink, and Artist’s Colours Industry

The Biocidal Products Regulation provides the necessary safety requirements for human health and the preservation of the environment. However, as set out within the European Commission’s Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability, published in October 2020, new legislation and criteria that may have an impact on microbial control technologies are on the horizon. These include the concepts of Essential Use, Safe and Sustainable-by-Design, and One Substance, One Assessment. Discussions are currently ongoing to refine the scope, definition and implementation mechanisms of these initiatives.

With this in mind, the European Council of the Paint, Printing Ink, and Artist’s Colours Industry (CEPE) has launched a campaign: #CoatingsNeedPreservatives! Today, only a handful of preservatives remain for industry and CEPE fears for what the future may hold. Make sure to check out their activities.

 

 

 

Case study: Biosecurity for animal welfare

Just as proper hygiene prevents humans from spreading germs and so helps reduce outbreaks of disease, the same principle applies to animals. Biosecurity – applying microbial control technologies to remove viruses, bacteria and fungi from animals’ environment – is a most effective form of protection against such outbreaks of disease.

READ MORE+

 

 

Many biocidal products on Swedish market non-compliant

In addition to Luxembourg and the Netherlands, we can now also add Sweden to the list of countries where non-compliant biocidal products have found their way on to the market.

In 2021, the Swedish Chemicals Agency, Kemi, carried out inspections of biocidal and plant protection products in Sweden, together with inspectors from 78 of the country’s 290 municipalities. They inspected 1,343 products at 38 primary suppliers and 440 retailers. They checked to ensure only authorised products were sold, whether they were labelled in accordance with current legislation, and whether salespeople informed non-professional buyers about risks.

According to a Chemical Watch article from April, these inspections found that 63% of examined products did not comply with EU and/or national rules on authorisation and labelling requirements.

This investigation was done in light of Kemi’s role to enforce legislation on chemical products (including pesticides) provided by first-tier suppliers with a focus on products placed on the market.

 

 

EFSA ONE Conference 

On 21-24 June, the European Food Safety Authority, EFSA, held the One Conference 2022.

The conference included a series of break-out-sessions grouped in four thematic tracks: ONE Life, ONE Planet, ONE Society and MANY Ways.

The conference panel on “Infectious diseases, from emergence to pandemics: Improving understanding and getting prepared” concluded that:

  • Human, animal, and environmental health are a global issue, and should be addressed as such.
  • Collaboration needs to be strengthened between all parties (regulatory authorities, scientific community, private sector, society, media). This includes improving the levels of data sharing, education, and communication amongst the various stakeholders.
  • Where food is concerned, the risk of a disease outbreak starts already at production stages.

At MCEC we could not agree more with these conclusions. Furthermore, we believe we are part of the solution.

 

 

Contact

The Microbial Control Executive Council, or MCEC, is an initiative of the world’s leading companies developing and supplying microbial control technology and solutions. It was established in 2012 in order to promote the safe and effective use of microbial control technologies, and to create a reference point for stakeholders and the public alike to understand the benefits of microbial control technologies and the steps being taken to ensure the use of more sustainable biocides across all applications.

MCEC member companies, Arxada, BASF, ICL, LANXESS and Troy Corporation, are committed to the betterment of public health and wellbeing through the advancement of sustainable microbial control technologies.

To learn more, follow us on Twitter, visit our website and our LinkedIn page.

For more information, do not hesitate to contact us at info@microbial-control.com

 

 

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