The inaugural International Conference on Cosmetic Product Safety and Compliance will take place on 6 and 7 March 2019 at the North West University (NWU) Sports Village and Conference Centre in Potchefstroom, South Africa. The aim of the conference is to establish solutions for cosmetics and personal care brand owners, manufacturers and regulators to align and comply with international regulatory standards.
According to the NWU and the Cosmetics Efficacy Laboratory (CEL), located on site at the university, the South African cosmetics and personal care industry has been self-regulated for years. Yet the Department of Health is moving towards regulating the industry with draft regulations published in August 2016 and again in December 2017 for public comment.
The NWU and CEL say ‘the regulatory status of cosmetics products, guidelines published and the steps required to implement these guidelines need to be discussed by industry role-players. For this reason, the two entities, in conjunction with EU regulatory delegates, are planning this two day conference to assist local industry stakeholders on their journey toward compliance with the EU regulations. Because the South African legislation is yet to be promulgated and therefore the guidelines aren’t published as yet, the organisers have opted to focus on the EU regulations.
An informative programme
The conference will be spilt into two sub-themes. The first will focus on international cosmetic regulations and whether local brands and manufacturers correspond with these guidelines? Talks by Zoran Gavric and Herman van Zonneveld will centre on how to move forward harmoniously. Raw materials suppliers and product owners/manufacturers already exporting products shouldn’t miss out on this informative session.
International keynote speakers confirmed:
- Prof Vera Rogiers (chair, SCCS, VUB toxicology, Belgium)
- Diana Khazaka (director, Courage & Khazaka, Germany)
- Zoran Gavric (TRC Europe, The Netherlands)
- Herman van Zonneveld (TRC Europe, The Netherlands).
The second sub-theme will question product safety. Discussion topics will include basic and applied toxicology principles, product safety assessments, OECD guidelines for in vivo and in vitro studies, transdermal diffusion and membrane release studies etc. Industry experts who will lead these discussions include Prof Vera Rogiers, Dr Gerald Renner (director, Regulatory Technical CE, Belgium – to be confirmed) and Diana Khazaka. Experts from the NWU’s Pharmacen department, who are set to present on transdermal diffusion, in vivo and in vitro studies and OHHRI toxicology topics, will also be announced soon.
A vision to support and encourage compliance
Organisers from CEL and NWU say their goal is to offer a much required regulatory platform for industry partners to discuss, network and work together to advance their companies and build their export capacity. Ultimately, this will help put South African brands on the global map to compete with leading brands from other countries.
It is also the organisers’ vision to build and align the NWU’s research capabilities with that of industry role players, to connect, uplift and bring industry partners together to form an integral alliance that drives the South African cosmetics industry forward.
Booking info and specifics
The cost of the conference, excluding accommodation and travel, is:
- R5 449 (excl. VAT) for the early bird registration fee to be booked and paid before 31 October 2018
- R7 495 (excl. VAT) for bookings received between 1 November 2018 to 8 February 2019
- students benefit from a discounted rate of R3 780 (excl. VAT) to attend.
Registration closes on 8 February 2019. The cost of the conference includes all teas and lunches, and is required to cover conference facility venue hire fee.
Speakers presenting at the conference will receive complimentary attendance, and the first 40 delegates to register and pay will receive one night’s accommodation on site at NWU at no additional charge.
For more information on the International Conference on Cosmetic Product Safety and Compliance, to provide sponsorship or pitch your presentation idea to speak at the event, please send an email to [email protected] or [email protected].