Volume 7: Medicines and Cosmetics
8. Cosmetics and toiletries
1996

8.142 Commission Decision 96/239/EC came into force on 27 March 1996. Thisbanned the export from the UK of bovine products, including those destined for usein cosmetic, medicinal or pharmaceutical products. ¹

8.143 Miss Kelly told us that, following this Decision, the CTPA immediately asked members again for details of bovine-derived ingredients used. The results of the survey confirmed the following:

a) Tallow derivatives were the only ingredients of overriding importance, these being widely used and not easily replaced by non-animal derived materials. The usage of any other bovine derived ingredients was very limited.

b) Major ingredient suppliers were already supplying materials of non-UK-bovine origin. In a telephone conversation with one supplier I was told that the German industry had, for some time, been requiring that ingredients supplied to them should be of non-UK-bovine origin. ²

8.144 Further to this, Miss Kelly told us that by 1996 almost all the CTPA's members 'were able to certify that their bovine derived material was sourced from outside the UK. Those who could not obtain such certification were in the process of resourcing that material. Most of the UK industries had sourced material from two major suppliers who assured them that their tallow derivatives and gelatin met UK guidelines'. ³