In May 2009, IRGC completed and published a Policy Brief summarising the contents of the report and proposing recommendations for improving the risk governance of nanotechnology applications in food and cosmetics. IRGC’s recommendations reflect the five phases of IRGC’s risk governance framework and include:
For risk pre-assessment, using the Working Definition of nanotechnologies and nanomaterials proposed by the International Organization for Standardization’s Technical Committee 229;
For risk assessment, that governments proactively take the initiative of undertaking risk assessments for an appropriate selection of nanomaterials;
That, in the current state of scientific uncertainty, judgements of the acceptability or tolerability of the risks are informed by careful analysis of the concerns of key stakeholders and the public and complemented with transparent communication of the inclusion of nanomaterials in products so as to allow consumers to make their own informed value judgements;
That, because food and cosmetic products are manufactured and sold on a truly international basis, efforts be made by governments to ensure that regulatory processes are harmonised between countries. In the absence of specific regulation, IRGC recommends that industry develops enforceable, transparent and inclusive self-regulatory processes through the use of codes of conduct;
Regarding risk communication, IRGC strongly recommends that industry engage in the public debate concerning nanotechnologies and their risks and that this should begin with a proactive dialogue with NGOs aimed at agreeing how to define and characterise nanomaterials.