Science, soaps and safety

Regulation of products is ultimately driven by both scientific analysis and concerns for public safety and well-being

On September 1, 2016, the Food and Drug Administration of the US came down with a ruling that will have long-term effects. The agency banned the use of antibacterial soaps, saying that there is more harm than good in these products. The main argument as supported by strong scientific evidence was that antibacterial soaps that contain the chemicals triclosan and triclocarban interfered with development and metabolic processes and can lead to long-term resistance as well. Most interestingly, the studies showed that antibacterial soaps are no better in cleaning than soaps that do not have antibacterial ingredients. The ban will affect nearly 40 per cent of soaps in the US, and leading manufacturers like Johnson and Johnson and Proctor and Gamble also signalled their intent to phase out the key active ingredients that FDA found problematic.

In the backdrop of this major development in consumer products and safety, let us start with two questions in the context of Pakistan. The first, and perhaps the most obvious one, is what will the Government of Pakistan do to protect its citizens and how will the local industry respond. Are antibacterial soaps only bad for those who live in the 50 states, or do the citizens of Pakistan also have the right to save themselves from active ingredients that are harmful to their metabolic and development functions? Despite the big news from FDA, the television channels in Pakistan continue to show various leading brands touting the antibacterial characteristics of their soaps. Will the government and its regulatory bodies ask companies manufacturing these soaps in Pakistan to get rid of their leading brands? Does the government have the muscle, or more importantly the will to do so? And if the industry does not comply, who will hold them accountable? Or will we see an increase in the antibacterial soap sales in Pakistan, because it is now banned in the US?

The second, and perhaps a bit more complex question is how do we in Pakistan think about regulation and consumer safety. Lately, there has been a lot of noise about food safety and raids on food establishments, particularly in Punjab. Often accompanied by TV camera and crew, these raids got both the coverage in the media and public support. But regulation and safety is not about raids or surprise visits, it is about a systematic structure that is based on data, science and rigour. Somehow we have relegated all our science and safety to apps and mobile phones. We are being told that if people have mobile phones with cameras and capacity to take pictures and make videos, we will be able to resolve problems of consumer safety. But quality and safety are not just about taking pictures or using an app, it is about scientific data collection and rigorous analysis of that data. For example, what if the establishment that creates soaps (or other products) does so in hygienic environment, and the problem lies not in the facility but in the ingredients that are used? What if the ingredient is legal but not safe? And perhaps most importantly, we should ask, will we always depend on FDA and its European equivalents, to tell us what is safe and what is not? What if some of our products are truly local and beyond the purview of these agencies, how would we know if they are safe or not? Ultimately, are we in charge of our own safety or not?

Regulation of products is ultimately driven by both a scientific analysis and concerns for public safety and well-being. It requires a proactive attitude, a robust scientific capacity and an ability to respond to crises. Unfortunately, our sense of safety in consumer products is based on the assumption that products are safe until they lead to a tragedy. But this does not have to be so. We do not have to live on the edge, and creating institutions that focus on regulation with a scientific structure and a commitment to public safety will not only save us from ailments, it will also create a culture of trust in institutions that is the very basis of a healthy society.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 6^th, 2016.

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