Pluralibacter Gergoviae Microbial Threat to Cosmetics Safety

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Pluralibacter Gergoviae Microbial Threat to Cosmetics Safety

Pluralibacter gergoviae will enter the safety assessment of cosmetics products in Germany.

In a recent opinion, The Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (Bundesinstitut fur Risikobewertung – BfR) has reassessed the health risk of cosmetics that are contaminated with the microorganism Pluralibacter gergoviae. The assessment applies for both leave-on products as well as rinse-off.

Pluralibacter gergoviae, formerly known as Enterobacter gergoviae (Brenner et al. 1980), has been repeatedly isolated from various personal care products. It was the cause for a recent case of a flushable wipes product recall.

This opportunistic pathogen can cause disease in immunocompromised individuals. It was investigated for its adaptive mechanisms against common preservatives in the cosmetic industry, such as membrane structure modifications and overexpression of detoxifying enzymes (Marina Periame et al., 2014).

The implications for the personal care market
The Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) suggests cosmetic manufacturers should test the products for this bacterium, along with the rest of the requirements stated by the Pharmacopeia and other global standards.

For every problem, there is an answer
As a preservative-solutions provider, we know that even resistant microorganisms have a solution. We have searched and identified a line of preservation system to tackle these challenging bacteria, with enhanced performance against Pluralibacter gergoviae.

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Written by Noa Ziklo, PhD, Microbiology Unit Manager at Sharon Labs Innovation Group