Pigments

All those involved in international trade in cosmetics must have initially welcomed the U.S. FDA approach to harmonizing color nomenclature. It was proposed that the prefix FD&C or D&C be dropped and that colors would be named by their simple name with the color index (C.I.) number in parenthesis. For example, FD&C Blue No.1 becomes Blue 1 for the North American market and remains CI 42090 on the European ingredient listing.

However, for products sold on both continents, the FDA is prepared to accept Blue 1 (CI 42090). Unfortunately, certain European countries cannot take this compromise, so dual labeling remains a problem. In the USA, it is correct to name the colors by their shade and number only, but they must still conform to the FD&C or D&C specifications and be certified.

In line with Europe, there is no longer a requirement to name the metallic salt for lakes in the USA. It should be noted that there is no international list of approved colors and specifications, and differences between Europe, the USA, and Japan are still to be resolved.