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Group: Despite FDA ban, mercury-tainted cosmetics still in markets


Cosmetics products tainted with mercury continue to be sold in downtown Manila in defiance of an order from the Food and Drug Administration, an environmental group has said. The EcoWaste Coalition alerted the FDA that such products are still on sale particularly in the Binondo and Quiapo areas in Manila. “Our investigation shows that the mercury-tainted beauty products are being sold in Ongpin and Carriedo in brazen disregard of the FDA recall and seizure orders," Aileen Lucero of the EcoWaste Coaltion’s Project PROTECT (People Responding and Organizing against Toxic Chemical Threats) said in a letter sent to FDA Director Nazarita Tacandong. Excerpts of the letter were posted on the group’s blog site (ecowastecoalition.blogspot.com). Lucero said members of EcoWaste and Save Babies Coalition volunteers noticed the sale of the cosmetics during a public awareness activity in Binondo to inform consumers about the health hazards of toxic beauty products. She said that as a woman and a mother, “I find it deeply disturbing to witness with my own eyes how these harmful products are being offered to uninformed women consumers in the name of fairer and flawless skin complexion." “We appeal to the FDA to work even harder to rid the market of toxic products and ensure that the consumer right to information and safety from hazardous goods is genuinely upheld," she said. Also, EcoWaste said there is no reason for cosmetic manufacturers to use toxic chemicals such as mercury in their products and threaten human as well as ecological health. “It is the responsibility of manufacturers to ensure that their products will not expose their women customers to toxic chemicals that can lead to serious health problems both for the mother and her child. We therefore appeal to them to produce only non-toxic products," the group said. Last February, the FDA issued advisories warning against three “Jiaoli" products and two “Zhen de Shou" products. [See: 9 beauty products banned for containing mercury] In FDA Advisory 2010-002, FDA head Nazarita Tacandong warned against the purchase and sale of Jiaoli Miraculous Cream, Jiaoli Huichusu Special Cut Genuine, and Jiaoli 2+17 days Clearing Facial Spots Suit. Tacandong said that while the products are not registered, they contained mercury exceeding the allowable limit of one part per million (ppm). “Cosmetic products containing such impurities/contaminants that are way beyond the allowable limit clearly pose imminent danger or injury to the consuming public," she said. In Advisory 2010-003, Tacandong issued a similar warning against Zhen de Shou Fat Loss Capsule and Zhen de Shou Fat Loss Tea, which she said are not registered. She warned the public “not to buy, consume or use" the products, after the FDA found them to contain potentially harmful substances. “Worse, laboratory examinations show that samples of Zhen de Shou Fat Loss Capsule contain as their ingredients Amphetamine, Sibutramine, or Steroids, either singly or in combination with each other," she said. “Not being registered, it is illegal for the above products to contain such ingredients. Furthermore, consumers can be put (in) imminent danger or injury when using such products," she added. Tacandong warned all establishments or outlets selling and/or dispensing such products they “will be penalized severely." She also urged the public to call the FDA hotline at 8078275 to report the sale of such products. — LBG, GMANews.TV

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