“France denounces the toxic nature of 90% of diapers sold in Europe”, reports the Spanish site The confidential.
By analyzing the best-selling brands of disposable diapers in Europe, the National Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety (ANSES) identified 38 chemicals with “very serious risks” can affect babies. According to her, more than 14 million European babies are exposed to diseases “potentially very serious” because of these layers: cancer, endocrine disorders, hormonal disorders.
Economic interests
In 2020, ANSES therefore asked the European institutions to impose a restriction on the use of these chemicals. At the end of 2021, the European Chemicals Agency opposed it, because while admitting the potential risks, it considered that they were not sufficiently demonstrated. Several associations are now turning to the European Commission to reconsider this decision.
In Europe, the market for baby diapers, dominated by Pampers (36%) and Huggies (26%), generates 7 billion euros each year, indicates The confidential, and a thousand diapers are produced every minute. The companies believe that the limitation of chemicals would have harmful consequences on the market, which the associations refute.
MEP Anja Hazekamp, Vice-President of the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety Committee, said the situation was very worrying. “Even more worrying is the fact that ‘despite the evidence, the European Chemicals Agency has chosen to defend the economic interests of this sector instead of supporting a set of restrictions that would protect the health of these young children.’”
The confidential recalls that the European Union having undertaken in 2020 to protect the most vulnerable against chemical risks, the threat must be taken seriously. All the more so since, according to ANSES, children are born “pre-contaminated” by chemical pollution present in the environment. Last April, the European Union took a step forward by announcing a plan to ban thousands of chemicals in consumer products. The French proposal will be the first test, concludes the site.