![Implementation of the](https://img.passeportsante.net/1000x526/2018-07-11/i85892-.jpeg)
After the “NutriScore”, the government announces the establishment of “ToxiScore”. It will indicate, by means of an indicator, the toxicity of household products for humans and the environment.
A new indicator will appear in supermarkets to warn us about the harmfulness or not, present in our favorite household products. This is a measure that takes place within the framework of the fourth national Health-Environment plan.
“Today, household product labels are very complex. We don’t really know how to use it. This concerns all household products. You have to know at first glance whether you need to take precautions for use, for example put on gloves or ventilate the room “, deplored the Minister of Ecological and Inclusive Transition, Barbara Pompili at the microphone of France Info this Friday May 7th.
Labeling that is not compulsory and is the subject of debate
The idea of a Toxi-Score is not new, many associations and in particular the UFC-Que Choisir consumer association have been calling for this label for a while. However, this labeling of household products will not be imposed, a decision regretted by Olivier Andrault, Agriculture and Food Officer at UFC-Que Choisir. “the regulations do not require that all the ingredients appear on household products while it has already been compulsory for a long time on cosmetic and food products”, explains the project manager to France Info. To have a real impact in order to protect consumers, Olivier Andrault pleads for the Toxi-Score to be mandatory on all detergent products. According to the project manager, this ” detail “Is not” explicitly indicated “in the program carried by the Minister for the Ecological and Solidarity Transition.
In December 2020, theUFC-What to Choose conducted a large study on over 244 references which found that “no less than 40% of detergents are not recommended or should be avoided because of the presence of perfumes or preservatives which will prove to be toxic for reproduction, with endocrine disruptors”.
Other products are singled out by the consumers’ association, such as fabric softeners “which expose our skin throughout the day to a cocktail of toxic substances” or multipurpose cleaners that offer false advertising “To better persuade consumers of the harmlessness of their products, manufacturers are increasing the number of mentions of the ‘sensitive’ or ‘ecological’ type, evocative images of nature or even the highlighting of traditional ingredients such as black soap or Marseille soap “, warns the association.
Towards an implementation for 2022
The new label will be developed within the National Consumer Council, an organization under the effigy of the Ministry of Ecological and Inclusive Transition. The indicator should be similar to “Nutri-score” which classifies food products from A (green) to E (red), based on nutritional value.
The objective is obviously to inform consumers about the health and ecological risks they incur when using these products. The deployment of the Toxi-Score is scheduled for 2022.