Nine News investigates TGA FOI’s and ingredients 4-MBC and Homosalate
TGA documents featured on Nine News acknowledge 4-MBC risks, raising questions if the ACCC will scrutinise the marketing of these chemicals in “Kids” products.
BRISBANE, QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA, May 26, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — A Nine News investigation has drawn attention to internal Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) documents that raise safety questions about certain chemical UV filters used in Australian sunscreens marketed for children.
The broadcast, titled “Are there dangerous chemicals in your child’s sunscreen?”, examined the use of 4-Methylbenzylidene Camphor (4-MBC) and homosalate. These ingredients are present in more than 100 Australian sunscreen products, including popular “Kids” and “Baby” lines, despite being banned or heavily restricted in the European Union, United States and more than 40 other countries.
Freedom of Information documents obtained by Joseph Mizikovsky featured prominently in the report. During the broadcast, Nine News reporter Kate Smithers revealed internal TGA documents in which staff raised safety concerns, stating: “In 2024, an internal email from a staff member: ‘Could we also prioritise the safety review of 4-MBC?’ Another document citing the chemical ‘does not appear to be safe due to endocrine disrupting potential.’ ”
Nine News also noted that the TGA is currently reviewing 4-MBC but has yet to issue a final recommendation, while proposing concentration limits on homosalate due to potential systemic absorption concerns.
Parallel Drawn to ACCC “Reef Friendly” Case
The findings have prompted consumer advocates to question whether the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) will apply similar scrutiny to health-related marketing claims as it has to environmental claims.
In July 2025 the ACCC commenced Federal Court proceedings against Edgewell Personal Care Australia Pty Ltd and its US parent company (NSD1089/2025) over allegedly misleading “reef friendly” claims on Banana Boat and Hawaiian Tropic sunscreens. ACCC Deputy Chair Catriona Lowe stated at the time: “We allege that Edgewell engaged in greenwashing by making claims about the environmental benefits of Hawaiian Tropic and Banana Boat sunscreens that it had no reasonable or scientific basis to make.”
Advocates note that if internal TGA documents identify potential endocrine risks for ingredients used in products labelled for children or “delicate skin”, similar regulatory examination could be expected.
Australian Sunscreen Council Position
The Australian Sunscreen Council, the peak industry body representing Australian sunscreen manufacturers, maintains that with chemical UV filters such as 4-MBC and homosalate — particularly those marketed to children — the risks outweigh the benefits.
Mr Mizikovsky, whose FOI request supported the broadcast, has lodged a formal IN-1 application with the TGA seeking a full toxicology review of 4-MBC. He said Australian parents “should never have to choose between sun protection and potential health risks for their children.”
Market Response: Mineral Zinc Alternatives
Industry Response
In light of the concerns raised, some manufacturers are increasing the availability of mineral-based sunscreens. VeganicSKN has expanded its ThermaSun range — an Australian-made non-nano zinc oxide sunscreen using ZinClear® XP made in Queensland. Zinc oxide is the only broad-spectrum UV filter designated Generally Recognized As Safe and Effective (GRASE) by the US FDA and the only common sunscreen active ingredient identified in TGA assessments as having no accompanying safety concerns.
The ThermaSun range is produced in VeganicSKN’s TGA-licensed facility in Milton, Brisbane, and is priced from $4.99 AUD.
References:
Nine News Australia broadcast (22 May 2026): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtPjZ6RRpmU
ACCC media release – Federal Court proceedings against Edgewell over “reef friendly” claims (1 July 2025): https://www.accc.gov.au/media-release/banana-boat-and-hawaiian-tropic-owner-in-court-over-alleged-greenwashing-claims-that-its-sunscreens-were-%E2%80%98reef-friendly%E2%80%99
TGA sunscreen ingredients safety information and ongoing reviews: https://www.tga.gov.au/resources/explore-topic/sunscreens/sunscreen-ingredients
The VeganicSKN Team
VeganicSKN
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