18 September 2024, Quezon City, Philippines/ Bangkok, Thailand. Environmental health organizations Ecological Waste Coalition of the Philippines (EcoWaste Coalition) and Ecological Alert and Recovery – Thailand (EARTH) commended the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of Thailand for its action to stop the production and trade of 12 skincare cosmetics contaminated with mercury.
Together with the Foundation for Consumers (FFC) and the International Pollutants Elimination Network – Southeast and East Asia (IPEN-SEA), the two groups had earlier sought the help of the Thai FDA in addressing the illegal production in Thailand and subsequent export to the Philippines of dangerous cosmetics containing high levels of mercury, a highly toxic substance not permitted as an ingredient in cosmetics under the ASEAN Cosmetic Directive (ACD).
“We laud the Thai FDA for listening to our plea for regulatory action, which eventually led to the banning of 12 of the 14 mercury-added products we previously reported,” said Aileen Lucero, National Coordinator, EcoWaste Coalition. “We urge those behind the manufacture, export, import, distribution and sale of these dangerous cosmetics to desist from continuing their unlawful activities, which pose a real threat to people’s health and the environment as well. Despite being flagged by the Thai health authorities, some of these banned products are still listed in popular online shopping platforms.”
“The commendable action taken by the Thai FDA will uphold the ban on mercury cosmetics under the ACD and the Minamata Convention on Mercury and contribute to the protection of consumers in Thailand and the region against mercury exposure through the use of contaminated skin lightening products,” said Penchom Saetang, Executive Director, EARTH. “To ensure that its directive is strictly followed, we request the FDA to conduct non-stop compliance monitoring, including in online marketplace, and prosecute those who continue to defy the law.”
Toxics watchdog group EcoWaste Coalition cautions consumers from using these products that have been found to contain mercury and other potent ingredients not allowed in cosmetics.
Among the products banned by the Thai FDA were Lady Gold Seaweed Gluta/Super Gluta Brightening, five variants of Dr. Yanhee (also called “Mhor Yanhee”), two variants of Dr. Wuttisak (also known as “Mhor Wutti sak”) , Meyyong Seaweeds Super Whitening, Polla Gold Super White Perfects, 88 Whitening Night Cream, and Snow White Armpit Whitening Underarm Cream.
The EcoWaste Coalition obtained the above products from online sellers and then screened them for mercury using an X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) analyzer, which found the items contaminated with mercury ranging from 3,042 parts per million (ppm) up to 44,540 ppm, way beyond the 1 ppm limit under the ACD.
Tests conducted by FDA Thailand confirmed the presence of mercury in all the 12 products. Moreover, some of the samples were found to contain controlled ingredients in prescription medicines that are not allowed in cosmetics, including betamethasone, hydroquinone, and retinoic acid that are used for the treatment of certain skin conditions and which should only be used under stringent medical supervision.
EARTH and the EcoWaste Coalition also appealed to all national cosmetic regulatory authorities to strengthen their coordination to tackle enforcement issues, protect consumer rights, and make the ASEAN regional bloc safe from mercury-containing cosmetics, including those that are sourced from other countries like China and Pakistan.
The groups further urged the authorities to make the ASEAN Post-Marketing Alert System or PMAS more accessible to the region’s close to 700 million inhabitants, noting that the purpose of the system is to inform and protect consumers against defective or unsafe health products, including cosmetics contaminated with mercury and other substances of concern.
In promoting the active and effective enforcement of the mercury ban in cosmetics, the groups underlined the hazards posed by adulterated products to human health. “Aside from allowing mercury to penetrate into the body through the skin, consumers of these contaminated cosmetics are also exposing anyone at home, including babies and children, to mercury vapors, which can be inhaled and thus creating a two-fold exposure situation via skin absorption and mercury vapor inhalation,” the groups pointed out.
“People living together in places with inadequate ventilation are at greater risk when they breathe mercury-contaminated air and touch mercury-contaminated clothes, blankets, pillows, and towels,” they added.
References:
https://www.hsa.gov.sg/docs/default-source/announcements/safety-alerts/hsa-foreign-alert_2024_jan_final.pdf?sfvrsn=3aa1fe63_2
https://journal.com.ph/ngos-put-pressure-on-fda-thailand-to-act-vs-cosmetics-contaminated-with-mercury/
