US Panel Posts a Draft Safety Update on Kojic Acid

CIR’s kojic AcidKojic AcidEmergingKojic Acid · Tyrosinase inhibitor / chelatorSkin-brightening fungal metabolite under active CIR re-review; historically CIR-safe up to 1%.Open in the Index → re-review is back on the table. On 11 September 2026 the Expert Panel released a Draft Tentative Amended Report for the 5–6 October meeting, after a third Insufficient Data Announcement in June 2026[1].

The 2010 CIR conclusion capped cosmetic use at 1%. The Panel reopened in 2022 as EU face-and-hand restrictions and rising skin-care use changed the risk picture; successive IDAs have asked for exposure scenarios and toxicology endpoints the Panel still flags as gaps[1].

At the October meeting the Panel can conclude safe, safe with qualifications, insufficient data, unsafe, or a split decision. Until then the draft is a step in the process, not a new concentration ceiling.