Mumbai, July 4 (IANS). Maharashtra’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued an advisory declaring three cosmetic products as ‘not of standard quality’ (NSQ) and immediately banning their use and sale. During laboratory testing, the quantity of poisonous heavy metals like mercury and lead in these products were found to be more than the prescribed limit, due to which they have been considered unsafe for the health of consumers.
According to the public information released by the FDA on Saturday, after testing by the government analyst, ‘Gori Beauty Cream’, ‘Face Fresh Gold (Beauty Cream + Beauty Serum)’ and ‘Golden Star Beauty Cream’ were found not to be of standard quality. Investigation also revealed that mandatory information like manufacturer’s name and address, batch number, manufacturing date and expiry date were not marked on these products, which is a clear violation of consumer safety standards.
Keeping public health in mind, the Food and Drug Administration has appealed to the common citizens to immediately stop the purchase, use and distribution of these products. The department said that use of such cosmetic products can have serious adverse effects on skin and health.
The FDA has also directed retailers, wholesalers, distributors and e-commerce platforms to stop the sale, storage, display and distribution of these products with immediate effect. Stockists and distributors having stock of these products have been instructed to inform the available quantity to the concerned FDA office and immediately initiate the recall process of all the products sent to the market.
The department clarified that complete details of available stock and recalled products will have to be provided to the concerned Food and Drug Administration office without any delay. Any kind of negligence in this regard can be taken as per rules.
The Food and Drug Administration has appealed to the citizens that if they see the sale or availability of these products anywhere, they should immediately inform the department about it. For this, the department has issued toll-free number 1800-222-365 and official email.
The FDA has advised people to purchase cosmetic products only from authorized and trusted sources. Also, it has been asked to ensure that all the necessary information like name and address of the manufacturer, batch number, manufacturing date and expiry date is clearly mentioned on any product. The department says that vigilance and awareness are the most effective measures to protect against such unsafe products.
–IANS
SCH/ABM
