The UK-based company claims it can now offer a full range of services from basic toxicological risk assessment, to finished product claims and labelling, to help health and beauty companies navigate the regulatory landscape.
A recent addition to the portfolio is its GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) services. According to Intertek's business development manager Stefanie Silverly, the recently introduced GMP ISO standard for cosmetics is expected to become a legal requirement within the next five years.
“Some manufacturers are already adhering to this practice ahead of time, but we expect it to become law by 2013,” she said.
Intertek can help companies adhere to the standard by indentifying the areas of their business practices that might stall the successful completion of an audit, she claimed.
Allergen presence and concentration
In addition, Intertek can help companies identify the presence and concentration of certain allergens or impurities which are tightly regulated.
Silverly explained how the European Commission recently appointed a scientific committee to investigate 26 known fragrance allergens, which may bring about regulatory changes in the near future.
“We can help companies identify if they have these allergens in their products and in what concentrations,” she said.
Commenting on the consolidated UK portfolio, Silverly said: “Manufacturers are seeking to increase their testing and visibility along their supply chain, and also to develop and deploy replacement materials. If the compliance process isn’t managed in a streamlined way, duplicate testing and other factors can exemplify the added costs involved, and can also risk slowing down product-time-to-market.”
In the UK and Europe the company now offers interaction substrate or products testing, toxicological risk assessment, quality control, products claims testing, clinical trials and the quantification of restricted and banned substances, as well as the GMP services.