Return of an old friend

The GUardian/Observer must be getting as fed up with coronoa as I am, so they re-ran an old component of Project Fear, last seen at the height of the Great Campaigns for Democracy and Parliamentary Coups:

US trade deal ‘could flood Britain with toxic cosmetics’

chemical substances [another sinister term] freely available in US products but banned in the UK include formaldehyde, a carcinogen used in hair-straightening treatments, nail polish and eyelash glue; parabens, which are used in skin and hair products and have a tendency to mimic oestrogen in the body, disrupting the hormonal system [see below]; p-Phenylenediamine, an organic compound derived from coal tar and used in hair dyes which can trigger severe allergic reactions; triclosan, an antibacterial agent used in soaps and toothpastes which is believed to spread antibiotic resistance [it's not alone there, of course] ; and phthalates which are found in perfumes and shampoo and can lower semen quality [what real-life uses are implied here, I wonder] .

The original scare story I read also implicated deodorants in breast cancer, I recall -- I think those have been withdrawn now. I like the calm Guradian objectivity of 'flood' and 'toxic'. The scary stuff is from a press relase by Global Justice Now, who has campaigned against big pharma and various toxic chemicals like those in weedkiller.

I first saw this particular issue discussed on Facebook I think. The ensuing discussion argued that: (a) harmful substances would still be banned in the UK or withdrawn by companies themselves keen not to get sued; (b) users had plenty of choice in cosmetics and would not be forced to use US products; (c) the EC has only recently changed its mind about the safety of things like parabens.

A spokesman for the Department for International Trade said: “The government has been very clear that any future trade deal must work for UK consumers and businesses, upholding our high regulatory standards. The UK’s reputation for quality, safety and performance is what drives demand for UK goods and is key to our long-term prosperity. We have no intention of harming this reputation in pursuit of a trade deal.”

Meanwhile, let's hear it for a group of unsung heroes:

'The biggest story ever': how journalists are coping with Covid-19

Some reporters are under enormous pressure as the coronavirus news pours in relentlessly – while for others, work has dried up completely