Overview
- The TGA put forward the proposals on Monday, October 26, 2026, that would force brands to complete multiple SPF tests on finished sunscreen products and provide those results to the regulator before listing.
- Under the plan manufacturers must carry out repeat testing over a product's shelf life and submit test reports confidentially rather than the TGA publishing or routinely pre‑checking all data.
- The regulator would formally allow in vitro testing, which measures SPF on plastic plates in a lab, as an alternative to some human volunteer (in vivo) tests while keeping in vivo methods for cases where plate testing is unsuitable.
- The move follows Choice and ABC investigations that found 16 of 20 popular sunscreens failed label claims and one product labelled 50+ measured SPF 4, prompting recalls of that product and 19 others that used the same base formula.
- The TGA says some measures can start in the short term but others need further consultation or legislative change and it warns stronger testing and accreditation rules could raise costs and reduce testing access for some suppliers.