Watch out for toxic mugs, other products on the market for Christmas

MANILA, Philippines—The Department of Health cautioned the public Wednesday on the purchase of mugs for Christmas presents after an NGO found that some mugs being sold in Metro Manila were tainted with lead.

Food and Drug Administration director Kenneth Hartigan-Go said the government was conducting tests on these mugs and other products after the EcoWaste Coalition discovered that they contained lead and other heavy metals.

“They are being subjected to lab tests to validate if the lead pigments are there. Mugs are becoming convenient Christmas gifts. That becomes a potential hazard so we are going to monitor them,” Hartigan-Go said at a press conference.

“We caution consumers that they should go to licensed, reputable stores that have little warning signs on materials like toys,” he added.

Hartigan-Go said the public should avoid buying products with no warning labels, adding that the FDA would issue guidelines for the public on what to avoid this Christmas season.

“Consumers should always ask where the products came from. If the paint is peeling off and the pigments are easily removed, then obviously they might become a hazard for young children,” he said.

Hartigan-Go also called on mall operators to monitor the products being sold by vendors on their premises, especially after the FDA discovered that some cosmetic products contained mercury.

“Some of the reputable malls apparently don’t do their due diligence to check the vendors. Vendors are selling cosmetics, whitening cosmetics that contain mercury,” Hartigan-Go said.

“It should not just be the vendors’ responsibility but also the mall which have consigned the place for them to sell these products. We’re talking of big, reputable malls,” he added.

The EcoWaste Coalition found out that 35 mugs being sold in bargain shops in Mandaluyong City; Sta. Cruz, Manila; Alabang, Muntinlupa City and Cubao, Quezon City, contained heavy metals. The mugs, which had Christmas designs painted on them, sold from P20 to 85 apiece.

All 35 samples were found to contain one or more heavy metals above levels of concern after screening them on October 31, 2012 with a handheld x-ray fluorescence (XRF) chemical analyzer, the group said.

Out of 35 samples, 29 were found to contain lead above the 90 parts per million (ppm) US limit for lead in paint. The 29 lead-tainted samples had an average of 12,643 ppm of lead, it added.

It also discovered that nine ceramic Christmas decor—which bore the images of Frosty the Snowman, Santa Claus, and a yuletide tree—were tainted with lead up to 16,400 ppm. Four of the samples came from a retailer in Mega Q Mart in Quezon City, the EcoWaste Coalition said.