InterAksyon.com
The online news portal of TV5
MANILA – Twelve skin-whitening products earlier found to have been laced with mercury are still being sold on the Philippine market, an environmental advocacy group said Saturday.
EcoWaste Coalition, a group that assists the government in removing these mercury-laced whitening creams, said the continued sale of these toxic products poses an “imminent danger or injury” to the public.
EcoWaste Coalition earlier classified as toxic 12 out of 45 such products during test buys earlier this month in Las Piñas, Makati, Mandaluyong, Manila, Muntinlupa, Pasay and Quezon City in Metro Manila, Cebu City in the Visayas and Davao City in Mindanao.
“It is still business as usual for some Metro Manila cosmetic retailers who willfully sell the mercury-tainted skin whitening products, stubbornly defying the ban,” said Aileen Lucero, safe-cosmetics campaigner for EcoWaste Coalition.
“In Davao City, a retail outlet would not even sell Jiaoli singly, but by the dozen,” she said, referring to one brand.
"We appeal to cosmetic traders and retailers to stop the heartless sale of mercury-added cosmetics and protect users from toxic harm," Lucero said.
The Food and Drug Administration earlier expanded the list of banned 50 skin-whitening creams containing mercury above the 1 part per million (ppm) threshold limit.
The list contains the 11 brands tested last month by the EcoWaste Coalition in partnership with IPEN that were found to contain from 1,085 to 28,600 ppm of mercury, a toxic metal that can cause allergic reactions, skin irritations and other neurotoxic effects.
Yoko Gentleman Cream by Siam Yoko Co. Ltd., Thailand (which sells from 20 to 50 pesos) and Jiaoli Miraculous Cream by Gelidai Jiaobao Cosmetics Co. Ltd., China (which sells from 80 to 120 pesos) were the top two “most available” brands in the market from among the banned products, EcoWaste Coalition said.
Other banned products that the EcoWaste Coalition’s AlerToxic Patrol procured during its latest test buys were Beauty Girl Natural Olive and Sheep Double Whitening Speckles Removed Essence, Berglotus Spot Removing Series, Doctor Bai Intensive White Revitalizing and Speckle Removing Set, JJJ Magic Spots Removing Cream, Jiaoli 10 Days Eliminating Freckle Day and Night Set, Miss Beauty Excellent Therapy Whitening Cream (two types), Pretty Model Whitening and Freckle Removing Set, Sara Glutathione Sheep Placenta Whitening and Anti-Spot Cream and S'Zitang Cream.
The products were purchased from a variety of retail outlets such as Chinese drug stores, cosmetics shops, herbal health and beauty stalls and “tiangge” booths.
According to the FDA, the importation, selling, or offering for sale of the recalled products containing high levels of mercury is a violation of Republic Act 9711, or the Food and Drug Administration Act of 2009.
