U.S. Representatives Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.), Nydia M. Velázquez (D-N.Y.) and Shontel Brown (D-Ohio) have sent a letter to U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Robert Califf seeking an update on the agency’s delay in implementing a rule to ban formaldehyde and other formaldehyde-releasing chemicals in hair products. The congresswomen have asked for information on the factors causing the delay and whether the agency has clear timelines and milestones for moving forward with the ban, whether FDA shares their concerns about the health effects of the delay, and
what steps the agency has taken to proactively mitigate disruptions to businesses once the ban is implemented. “As the FDA works to address these pressing issues, it is essential to continue to highlight the gravity of formaldehyde exposure, as highlighted by both epidemiological data and laboratory research,” they said. “Ensuring that regulatory actions align with the best interests of public health remains the goal and we encourage promptly finalizing a proposed rule.”

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