Our Executive Director, Damian Mitsch, featured in an ABC News report on 27 October on the Therapeutic Goods Administration’s (TGA) sunscreen reforms and what they mean for Australians.
“It’s time to bring confidence back to consumers, and it’s time for sunscreens to be ready for the summer period for Australians,” Damian told the ABC.
Consumer confidence in SPF claims matters to all of us, and Accord Australasia and its sunscreen section, the Australian Sunscreen Association, support reforms that strengthen it. The TGA will allow SPF testing in the laboratory (in vitro) as well as on human volunteers (in vivo), and will reference international test standards directly so new methods can be adopted faster. Accord recommended both in our May 2026 submission. The TGA has also deferred changes to SPF labels until there is evidence that a new format would help consumers, as we urged.
Getting the detail right matters too. Proposals for repeat testing, mandatory laboratory accreditation and a single SPF limit for secondary (cosmetic) sunscreens would raise prices and reduce choice, and the TGA has not yet shown what they would achieve. “Everyone wants SPF claims people can rely on. The way to get there is testing that is targeted and proportionate, so the money goes into reliable results rather than accreditations,” Damian said.
We will keep making that case constructively with the TGA, and we have asked that the regulatory cost of the reforms be assessed and consulted on before any decisions are finalised. Read our full media release on the TGA's consultation outcomes: Sunscreen reform: Accord Australasia backs modern testing, warns on higher costs and SPF limits.
About the Australian Sunscreen Association
The Australian Sunscreen Association is a section of Accord Australasia representing companies that make and supply sunscreens in Australia.
About Accord Australasia
Accord Australasia is the peak body for the cosmetic, personal care, home care, and industrial and institutional cleaning products industry in Australia. Accord has represented the sunscreen industry for 20+ years.
For media inquiries: Damian Mitsch, Executive Director, Accord Australasia, 0403 372 900, dmitsch@accord.asn.au