Danish EPA gives recommendations for tattoo ink allergens restriction

June 2017 / Denmark

The Danish EPA has released a report on allergic reactions to tattoo inks, to help Echa in preparing a REACH Annex XV dossier to restrict harmful substances in the inks.

It is collaborating with the Norwegian EPA to prepare a generic assessment for how to regulate skin sensitisers as part of the restriction.

Among its recommendations, the EPA says:

allergens fulfilling the CLP criteria for classification should not be present in tattoo ink, due to the risk of allergic reactions;
all ingredients in tattoo inks should be declared either on the container or in a safety data sheet, whether they are hazardous or not; and
research should be initiated to better understand, diagnose and prevent adverse tattoo reactions.
The Danish Ministry of Environment and Food published a report, earlier in the month, describing how to develop a robust method for analysing azo pigments and primary aromatic amines (PAA) used in tattoo inks.