The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) digital e-Services portal is undergoing enhancements to streamline the process for cosmetic product notifications (CPN). In a news release on Thursday, FDA Director-General Samuel Zacate discussed the initiative and other updates on cosmetic regulations together with the Chamber of Cosmetics Industry of the Philippines, Inc. in a two-day 'cosmeticon' event last month. He said such moves aim to encourage small businesses to comply with regulatory requirements as regulatory collaboration between the FDA and the cosmetics industry, particularly in the areas of digitalization and sustainability, is crucial. 'With these enhancements, MSMEs (micro, small and medium enterprises) can apply for a License to Operate (LTO) or CPN with greater ease,' he added. The FDA is mandated to provide technical assistance and consultative services to industry stakeholders to ensure compliance with health laws. Its Field Regulatory Operations Office conducts post-marketing surveillance to identify unregistered health products sold online. To address issues about e-commerce platforms selling cosmetics, Zacate urged stakeholders to utilize the FDA's online reporting system, which is accessible via the agency's website, to report violative products. Zacate also disclosed that the FDA plans to collaborate with South Korea on functional cosmetics to solve the challenges faced by applicants of products falling under this definition. Functional cosmetics are cosmetics with specific functions like skin whitening, skin wrinkle improvement, among others. Source: Philippines News Agency