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SFDA, Cosmetics Europe Sign MOU on Regulation and Safety

SFDA, Cosmetics Europe Sign MOU on Regulation and Safety
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SFDA, Cosmetics Europe Sign MOU on Regulation and Safety

SFDA, Cosmetics Europe Sign MOU on Regulation and Safety

The Saudi Food & Drug Authority (SFDA) recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the European professional association Cosmetics Europe (CE) to strengthen collaboration and communication in the field of cosmetics regulation and safety.

The MOU was signed by SFDA’s Vice President of Drug Sector, Dr. Adel Al-Har, and CE Director General John Chave.

The MOU aims at sharing common experiences and knowledge between the two parties in the field of cosmetics regulation and safety to determine a framework under which their fruitful cooperation in the regulatory aspects and safety of cosmetics is promoted, they can discuss challenges, and work to find possible solutions.

Terms of the MOU include creating cosmetics regulation in line with international best practices to overcome the challenges of the cosmetics market, promoting a harmonized regulatory vision ensuring a high level of safety for consumers, and collaborating on adverse events reporting and handling.

CE is a liaison between the regulatory companies and authorities in Europe and the official representative for cosmetics and personal-care products. Its membership includes major cosmetics and personal-care companies and manufacturers, as well as a number of subsidiary associations representing start-ups and small businesses at the national level across Europe.

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Heat Stroke Risk Won’t Stop Japan’s Ageing Farmers as Temperatures Soar 

A view shows paddy fields in Meiwa, Gunma prefecture, Japan, August 7, 2024. (Reuters)
A view shows paddy fields in Meiwa, Gunma prefecture, Japan, August 7, 2024. (Reuters)
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Heat Stroke Risk Won’t Stop Japan’s Ageing Farmers as Temperatures Soar 

A view shows paddy fields in Meiwa, Gunma prefecture, Japan, August 7, 2024. (Reuters)
A view shows paddy fields in Meiwa, Gunma prefecture, Japan, August 7, 2024. (Reuters)

The record high temperatures and sweltering weather that suffocated Japan this summer did not stop 77-year-old farmer Yasuyuki Kurosawa from tending his crops.

Kurosawa, who grows rice, cabbage, wheat and corn in Meiwa, a town in the eastern Gunma prefecture, is one of nearly a million predominantly elderly Japanese who still farm for a living, and who are at a greater risk that most people of falling ill, or even dying, from the heat.

"This is something that we cannot avoid, so we must do what we must do even if it's hot," he said.

Agriculture accounts for about 1% of Japan's economy and almost 70% of its 1.4 million farmers are aged 65 and above.

This July, the number of people working in farming and fishing who were taken to hospital due to heat stroke was 877, nearly five times the number in June, according to the fire and disaster management agency.

In 2022, 29 farmers died from heat stroke.

The authorities this year have issued warnings about heat-related illnesses as the temperatures soared to 40 Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) in several cities. Some parts of Tokyo and other areas in the country have also witnessed record high temperatures for this time of year.

The heat is particularly challenging for farmers like Kurosawa, who works from 5:30 a.m. until noon, and then takes a break until around 3:30 p.m. to avoid being outside during the hottest hours of the day.

Yukihiro, his 39-year-old son and also a farmer, said he drinks about 10 bottles of liquid a day to keep hydrated. He also wears a jacket that has fans attached, and said he was concerned that this extreme heat was becoming more commonplace.

"The heat record is broken every year, and I'm anxious about the situation," he said, sweat beading on his forehead. "Even if it's hot outside and we feel anxious, we have to do it while taking precautions against the heat."