What prompted the recent FDA investigation of triclosan?
The FDA announcement this week about triclosan was in response to a letter from Rep. Edward J. Markey, chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy and the Environment. Markey had sent the letter in January, requesting information about the status of the FDA’s ongoing review of triclosan in consumer products. Markey is concerned and is calling for the FDA to ban the use of triclosan in personal care products. He wants the Environmental Protection Agency to take steps, too, such as evaluating the potential of triclosan — washed down the drain with personal care product use — to contaminate drinking water and contribute to antibiotic resistance.
