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Microbial limits for natural cosmetic ingredients?
Q: We have established limits for micro of our finished goods, but what is a typical limit for raw materials/ingredients?
Context: Our natural clients are requesting we add materials that would typically be used in food- blueberry seeds (exfoliant), coconut sugar, butterfly pea powder, etc. A handful of the natural ingredients have a higher than usual TAPC and Yeast Mold Plate Counts listed on their COAs. We are shopping around with the major suppliers, but the plate counts for the materials are all higher (>5,000cfu/ml) than what we’d normally accept.
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3 Replies
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You can manage some greater specs but a high count will likely throw your finished product out any appropriate spec and may well include objectionable and contamination risk microorganisms. How will you bring the finished product into spec? FDA does not like folks who use preservatives to control manuf risk.
You’re putting at risk not only the product but also your manufacturing facility.
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PhilGeis said:You can manage some greater specs but a high count will likely throw your finished product out any appropriate spec and may well include objectionable and contamination risk microorganisms. How will you bring the finished product into spec? FDA does not like folks who use preservatives to control manuf risk.You’re putting at risk not only the product but also your manufacturing facility.
Not AT ALL familiar with what kind of equipment a mfg plant might have….but could material like this be irradiated as it came into the facility? Hehehe….or does that fly in the face of ‘natural’?
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Good point. Irradiation is certainly an option and commonly used for starch and earth materials - clays, pumice, talc etc. Individual cosm manuf plants wouldn’t have - materials, containment, etc. You’d send the material to a purpose-built comm. sterilization facility like Steris. It’s pretty expensive.
Seen it used for fin used products but can’t for OTC’s without NDA approval.Why not “natural”? Gamma irradiation occurs naturally (radon etc.). Just needs certification. Bet if EWG could get a piece of the action, they’d endorse as well. Worth noting the USDA scare monger say irradiated food can’t be labeled “organic” . if any food needed it……
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