EcoWaste reiterates call vs sale of mercury-laden cosmetics

MANILA, Philippines —Pro-environment group EcoWaste Coalition has urged the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to convene a multi-stakeholder summit to address the ongoing trade of mercury-laden cosmetics in the country.

The proposal was made in a letter sent to FDA Director General Samuel Zacate and FDA Center for Cosmetics and Household/Urban Hazardous Substances Regulation and Research Director Ana Rivera last August 15.

“We write to propose to the FDA, the lead regulatory agency for health products, to convene a multi-stakeholder summit to solve, once and for all, the seemingly interminable trade of mercury cosmetics, particularly skin products for lightening the skin tone,” said EcoWaste Coalition National Coordinator Aileen Lucero in the letter, as quoted in a statement on Saturday.

The proposal came as the international community commemorated the entry into force on August 16, 2017 of the Minamata Convention on Mercury.

This treaty is aimed at protecting the public and the environment from activities contributing to global mercury pollution.

“While we fully recognize the past and current efforts of the FDA to address this grave threat to public health, the importation, distribution, sale and use of skin lightening products with undisclosed mercury content persists.  It is apparent the FDA needs to muster the support of other agencies and sectors to put this serious health threat to rest,” Lucero said.

“The enormous expansion of online marketing has literally brought these dangerous products to the fingertips of consumers. With their unrestrained advertising and promotion in e-commerce sites, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, these health-damaging products are merely one click away,” she added.

EcoWaste Coalition said that the proposed summit could forge an agreement among various groups to stop the trade of mercury-laden cosmetics.

It added that 290 stores have been found selling FDA-banned mercury-laden cosmetics from January 2023 to August 2024 despite the ban of mercury cosmetics globally.