Call for expression of interest for experts in behavioural psychology in relation to the work on potential health risks posed by food-imitating and child-appealing chemical consumer products.
Common chemical consumer products, such as shower gels, shampoos, body lotions, soaps, liquid soaps and dish-washing liquids at times are presented to the consumer resembling foodstuffs or are child-appealing due to their shape, colour, appearance, odour, consistence, packaging or other characteristics. The resulting confusion may lead vulnerable consumer sub-groups (e.g. children, elderly visually impaired, etc), to ingest them. Be it because of their inherent toxicity properties, be it from other characteristics (viscosity, foaming potential, vomiting induction potential) ingestion of these products may pose a risk to the health of consumers.
The European Commission's Directorate General for Health and Consumers has
requested the Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) to assess the
potential risks related to such food-imitating or child-appealing chemical
consumer products. The call is launched on basis of a
mandate
(13 KB) for this assessment.
The relevant SCCS working group has identified a need in the field of
consumer’s behavioural psychology. In line with the Rules
of procedure of the Scientific Committees(821 KB), a call for expression of
interest for experts in this topic is launched.
In particular, experts with relevant professional experience in the area of consumer awareness of risk related to consumer products and the appealing effect for consumer (mainly children or seniors) of products which their odour, packaging or even taste imitate food products, are invited to register to the database of experts by submitting an application form according to the instructions indicating "SCCS: Food Imitating Products – call for experts" in the subject title of the message.
Deadline for submission of applications for experts on behavioural psychology for the work of the group on Food Imitating Products: 9 April 2010.(registration to the database is permanently open for experts with regard to the general work of the Scientific Committees)
More information on SCCS and the other non-food Scientific Committees of the European Commission