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When thinking about cosmetics, which accompany us in our daily lives as products assisting in maintaining personal hygiene, it is worth delving into the aspect of requirements regarding the quality of production conditions. These conditions include both sanitary-hygienic regimes and a set of principles known as Good Manufacturing Practices, dictated by the ISO 22716:2007 standard.
In addition to seeking interesting, useful, and innovative projects, the cosmetic industry aims to ensure the safety of cosmetic product users. Entities introducing products into circulation bear full responsibility for this. Therefore, cosmetics leaving the production hall must meet specific criteria regarding composition and microbiological purity.
This issue is regulated by legislative acts related to the above area, primarily the world’s most extensive collection of laws covering principles of safety, manufacturing, and placing cosmetics on the market – the Regulation of the European Commission and Council EU 1223/2009, the Regulation of the Minister of Health of 20.12.2002, and the standard PN-EN ISO 17516:2014, specifying limits for microbiological contamination.
To ensure consumer safety and product compliance with legislative guidelines, it is necessary to use appropriate production methods and techniques that ensure the highest hygiene standards in both production and storage spaces. To additionally secure against microbiological stability, cosmetic mass producers are compelled to use preservatives, protecting products from the risk of infections during use or storage.
It is worth knowing that some cosmetic preparations are not susceptible to microbial development. The norm PN-EN ISO 29621:2011 mentions a group of products with low microbiological risk, including:
Products containing ≥ 20% ethanol, e.g., perfumes, deodorants, antiperspirants
Although low microbiological risk products are not prone to contamination, similar rules dictated by Good Manufacturing Practices apply to their manufacturing process. The manufacturer is obliged to create conditions in the production environment to avoid contamination of the mass or packaging and ensure the quality of the product in line with expectations.
A fundamental activity related to production hygiene is the process of washing and disinfecting production lines.
Establishing the washing methodology should be individually selected, considering the specificity of contaminants, physicochemical properties, interactions with cleaning agents, etc. By optimizing the washing process, very high effectiveness can be achieved.
There are four basic techniques for cleaning industrial installations, including.
CIP (Cleaning in Place) – cleaning in place refers to the cleaning process of production installations and pipelines without prior dismantling, often using high-pressure washers.
COP (Cleaning out of Place) – cleaning out of place involves removing elements from the operational area and cleaning them in a designated point, often requiring disassembly and using an automated system.
Manual Cleaning – a common practice in the cosmetic, pharmaceutical, and biopharmaceutical industries, utilizing tools such as scrapers and brushes for removing contaminants not reachable by mechanical cleaning.
Immersion Cleaning – a cleaning method where cleaned parts are placed in cleaning solutions to ensure contact of all surfaces with the cleaning agent, suitable for elements requiring prolonged soaking.
Regardless of the applied technique, rinsing the cleaned surface is a final stage in the washing process. It is crucial to remove any residues of cleaning agents and dissolved contaminants to eliminate the risk of interactions with disinfection agents. Using smaller water portions through repeated cycles is a proven technique during rinsing, yielding better results than a one-time rinse with a large amount of water. Water quality requirements for rinsing are similar to those for drinking water, and it is recommended to use water meeting the quality criteria for production processes, at least in the final rinsing phase.
The process of washing production lines in the cosmetic industry is a fundamental element dictated by law, which requires the application of Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP). It is a basic condition in terms of ensuring product safety, cleanliness, and achieving quality parameters in line with technical documentation. Ensuring cleanliness and minimizing the risk of microbiological contamination of cosmetics is a priority for manufacturers. A well-implemented and adhered-to sanitary program is a package of benefits but, above all, safety and care for the consumer.