The Cochran Firm Legal Blog

Due to the increased interest and concern about what goes into cleaning products, New York’s Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner stated in a letter to Earthjustice that he has decided to begin requiring the disclosure of all ingredients that go into household and commercial cleaning products.

This is the beginning of enforcing a 40-year-old state law, which calls for manufacturers to reveal everything that goes into some of the most common under-the-sink products. This may be the only law of its kind in the country.

Responding to fears about what these cleaners do to the health of consumers and the environmental harm they may cause, environmental and health advocates sued several manufacturers of cleansers last year to try to get information about what they put into them under the 1971 New York law, but the suit was unsuccessful. The New York DEC demand that companies release their ingredients only affects that state, but health and environmental advocates hope it spurs a broad change in what chemicals are put into products.

Studies have linked chemicals in some cleansers to asthma, hormone changes, and antibiotic resistance, among other things.

Industry groups unveiled their own list of ingredients this year, and claim that potential health dangers are “off-base.” They say that research is flawed and that the products are safe if used correctly. Environmental advocates applaud the list of ingredients, but say that the list was too vague.

Defective products injure and kill thousands of people every year in this country. If you or a loved one has become sick because of a chemical in a cleaning product, please contact the experienced defective product attorneys at the Cochran Firm for an initial case consultation. We serve clients nationwide.

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