An environment watchdog was shocked to discover the open trade of banned mercury-tainted cosmetics just “a stone’s throw away” from the Food and Drug Administration—the government agency that banned them.
In test buys conducted on Aug. 26 and 28, the EcoWaste Coalition was able to buy two banned imported beauty brands in stalls in Starmall and Uniwide Metromall in Las Piñas City, and RFC Mall and Starmall Alabang in Muntinlupa City.
“Starmall Alabang is a stone’s throw away from the Food and Drug Administration headquarters, while the other malls are just a short ride away,” the EcoWaste said in a statement.
The coalition’s AlerToxic Patrol was able to buy, over the counter, skin-whitening Jiaoli Miraculous Cream and S’Zitang 10-Day Eliminating Freckle Day and Night Set, both of which were ordered recalled by the FDA in 2010.
Other mercury-tainted cosmetics procured in the test buys in southern Metro Manila were Feique Rose Refining Nourishing Set Cream, Forever Beauty 10-Day Special Cream and Long Dian Tu Glutathione Pearl Natural Whitening Essence Cream.
The products, subjected to chemical analysis by the EcoWaste Coalition, revealed high mercury content ranging from 3,660 ppm up to 23,100 ppm, the statement said.
Citing information from the United Nations Environment Program, the EcoWaste Coalition warned that skin contact with mercury can cause “blotchiness, discoloring, rashes and scarring.” Prolonged skin exposure through repeated applications “can cause damage to the brain, nervous system and kidneys,” it added.
“The FDA, with support from the city and mall management, should waste no time in deploying field inspectors to confiscate the recalled products and apprehend the violators,” said Aileen Lucero of the EcoWaste Coalition’s Project Protect.
“Unlike other contraband goods which are usually sold under-the-counter, mercury-laden cosmetics are openly offered for sale, making a mockery of FDA’s recall orders aimed at safeguarding consumer health and safety,” she said.