Hundreds of Consumers Ask FDA to Put Warning Labels on ETERNITY Perfume -- EHN Finds Hazardous Chemicals in Designer Fragrance For Immediate Release August 18, 1999 Contact: Amy Marsh canaryclub@aol.com EHN Messages: (415)541-5075 Fax: (415)824-1003 Over 275 consumers who suffer health problems from perfume and fragrance products have written to ask the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to support petition 99P-1340/CP 1 to declare Calvin Klein's *Eternity Eau de Parfum* "misbranded." The product contains toxic chemicals but has no warning label to notify consumers, as required by existing FDA regulations. Many of the letter writers say they have suffered permanent health effects and have even lost their jobs due to the toxic chemicals in fragrance products. Over 100 letters are posted on the FDA's website at http://www.fda.gov/search.html. (Go to search, select dockets, enter "99P-1340/CP 1" or for a separate search, enter "Eternity.") The technical petition was submitted by the Environmental Health Network (EHN) of California and received by the Dockets Management Branch, Food and Drug Administration, Department of Health and Human Services, rm. 1-23, 12420 Parklawn Drive, Rockville, MD, 20857 on May 11, 1999. The FDA has six months from date of submission to make a determination about the petition. "We intend to do everything we can to inform unwary consumers about the hazards of this product," said Amy Marsh, president of EHN. "Most of our members suffer immensely from even brief exposure to fragrance products. This petition gives scientific support for their claims." Two independent laboratories identified such chemicals as diethyl phthalate (suspected hormone disrupter with ability to accumulate in the fatty tissues of the human body through skin absorption); hydrocinnamaldehyde (targets the testes, epididymis and sperm ducts); phenols (suspected carcinogens, may cause reproductive harm); benzeneethanol (rated toxic, readily absorbed via skin, central nervous system effects); synthetic musks (recently in the news as substances which accumulate in human and animal tissues) and skin and respiratory irritants. The petition contains the laboratory analyses and material safety data sheets for most of the identified chemicals. More information can be found on the following websites: Environmental Health Network: http://ehnca.org/www/FDApetition/bkgrinfo.htm Fragranced Products Information Network: http://www.ameliaww.com/fpin/fpin.htm #### Reach us by e-mail Amy Marsh, President EHN Canaryclub@aol.com Barb Wilkie, board member, EHN (Barb's email is no longer valid, please contact EHN) Betty Bridges, RN; Fragranced Products Information Network bcb56@ix.netcom.com

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http://ehnca.org/www/Press Releases/fragfda2.htm --8/20/99