Consumer safety concerns regulation

Regulation That Meets Consumer Safety Concerns... 

The fourth safety concern in the use of dietary supplements, that they may actually be harmful to users, is anything hut benign. Recall that the DSHEA places the responsihihty for safety testing with supplement manufacturers themselves. Consumers can only assume that products they purchase are safe for their use and will not cause health problems. It is only when such problems actually arise and the EDA is notified that regulators can deal with the safety of a supplement. 

Noneconomic barriers refer to a number of constraints on utilization. These include technical concerns such as lack of technical information or concerns regarding the quality of products or processes. These barriers also include the reluctance of consumers, processors, and regulators to employ new approaches or technologies for aesthetic or other reasons. They also include constraints on utilization because of health and safety, environmental issues, laws, and regulations. 

The requirements in 16 CFR Parts 1000-1799 contain the provisions of the Consumer Product Safety Act and the Hazardous Substances Act that are designed to ensure consumer safety. Although these regulations primarily concern the final plastic products to customers, colorant and additive formulators are required to ensure these products, when used in the customer s final commercial product, will meet these regulatory requirements. Among these requirements are constituency limits for certain hazardous ingredients (such as toxic metals) and product flammability criteria. 

Even as the consumer market for herbal supplement products expands and scientific information becomes more accessible, the goals of the second edition of the AHPA s Botanical Safety Handbook are essentially the same as those of the original edition. Companies that market herbal products are bound by federal regulations to disclose known safety concerns that may result from a product s use. Health care providers, especially those lacking in training or experience in the use of herbs, are in need of accurate data if they are to provide guidance to their patients who use herbs. And consumers of herbs and herbal products need readily understandable information to assist them in making safe and appropriate health care... 

Environmental concerns and local regulations often dictate the use of specific sanitizers in a particular geographic location. Owing to safety concerns, the use of formaldehyde in USA has declined, in contrast to Europe, where formaldehyde and glyoxal are widely used in formulations for hard surface care products and hospital instrument disinfection. Alcohol sanitizers are primarily used in waterless hand wipes, and hand sanitizers and disinfectants. The antimicrobial action wears off when the volatile alcohol evaporates from hands or substrates. Alcohol sanitizers are not strong biocides. The most commonly used alcohol as a disinfectant is pine oil that is obtained from pitch soaking of pinewoodby steam distillation or solvent extraction. It consists mainly of isomeric tertiary and secondary, cyclic terpene alcohol, and has a turpentine-like odor. Pine sol is predominantly used in household consumer products. 

Another misconception was the belief that vehicle manufacturers pay any costs of the safety standards. Consumers, however, bear part and perhaps even most of the costs. The distribution of the added cost depends on the shift in demand due to the safety standards and the responsiveness (elasticity) of demand and supply to vehicle price. Ralph Nader observed that the gap between existing design and technolomcally attainable crashworthiness was wide and the attainable level was rising What he did not say is that if the new technology involves more than a trivial cost and substantial share is borne by the consumer, then additional safety involves difficult choices for consumers, manufacturers and regulators. All are concerned about consumer reaction to the additional costs which accompany the additional safety equipment. 

Since cosmetics are widely used consumer goods, all regulations concerning them have, as their prime and principal purpose, the guaranteeing of consumer safety. Thus, Article 2 of the European Union Cosmetics Directive 76/768/EEC expressly states A cosmetic product put on the market within the Community must not cause damage to human health under normal or reasonably foreseeable conditions of use Article 3 states that Member States... 

Costs associated with increased government regulation are also difficult to quantify. Public concern in response to chemical release accidents affects regulators and community policy groups. It is evident that the U.S. chemical industry is already spending large amounts of money to avoid accidents and to deal with their consequences when they occur these costs are borne in part by the consumers. Continued expenditures are likely as industry strives to achieve an "acceptable" level of public safety throughout all chemical industry operations. 

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