The Food and Drug Administration is once again reviewing the safety of the chemical triclosan which was developed more than 40 years ago as a surgical scrub for hospitals. Scientists have raised concerns about the safety of triclosan for decades, and while the FDA has studied the chemical, it has not made a definitive ruling on the matter. Meanwhile consumer advocates and some manufacturers that incorporate triclosan in their products are facing off -- with neither side giving an inch. So what’s this fuss all about?

Triclosan is everywhere

Triclosan is now virtually synonymous with the word “anti-bacterial” in consumer products such as soaps (hand soaps, bar soaps and dish soaps), kitchen cutting boards and even toothpaste. It is so ubiquitous that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found the chemical present in the urine of 75 percent of Americans over the age of 5.

Two sides to the story

On one side, those who wish to remove or limit triclosan point to the following:

• The FDA has already said that soap with triclosan is no more effective than washing with ordinary soap and water, a finding that manufacturers dispute.
• Several studies have shown that triclosan may alter hormone regulation (thyroid and sex hormones) in laboratory animals or cause antibiotic resistance.

The push in congress by some to enact legislation to regulate the use of triclosan goes back three decades. Currently Massachusetts Representative Edward J. Markey is calling for a ban on triclosan in hand soaps, products that come in contact with food or products marketed to kids.

The makers of Dial Complete, which is at the center of the latest controversy, says there was no real evidence showing that triclosan was dangerous for humans. He also said that several recent studies had proved the effectiveness of triclosan in killing germs, and that those studies had been submitted to the federal regulators. (Dial Complete makes the claim, “kills more germs than any other liquid hand soap.”)

Similarly, Colgate continues to use triclosan in its Colgate Total toothpaste because it has proved to be effective against gingivitis, a claim also approved by the FDA.“The safety and efficacy of Colgate Total toothpaste is fully supported by over 70 clinical studies in over 10,000 patients,” the company said in a statement.

In the face of growing consumer concern, some manufacturers have removed it and reformulated their products to use a less controversial alternative. Reckitt Benckiser removed triclosan from three face washes and Colgate-Palmolive replaced triclosan with lactic acid in Palmolive Antibacterial Dish Liquid and its Softsoap liquid hand soap was reformulated.

For the makers of antimicrobial and antibacterial hand soaps, the outcome of the federal inquiries poses a significant risk as these products represent about half of the $750 million market for liquid hand soaps in the United States.

Triclosan’s long history of FDA review

On three occasions, in 1972, 1978 and 1994 the FDA reviewed and/or proposed eliminating triclosan in hospital scrubs and hand soaps but nothing final was ever authorized.

As for the current review, the FDA was to announce the results several months ago, but now says the timing is uncertain and unlikely until next year. Meanwhile, the Environmental Protection Agency is also looking into the safety of triclosan.

In the meantime, wash at your own risk.

Source:

New York Times