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Dec 13 2011

Saudi Arabia: SFDA warns against lead-tainted cosmetics

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RIYADH: The Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) has warned against using three cosmetic products for their high concentration of lead.

The authority said in a press statement that these products, sold in the local market, contain a level of lead much higher than the allowed limit as per the Gulf Standardization Organization specification, Al-Eqtisadiah business daily reported Monday.

Abdul Rahman Al-Sultan, director of the SFDA consumer awareness department, that the authority had directed the Ministry of Commerce and Industry and the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs to pull out these products from the local market and impose a ban on their import. He noted that working teams from the SFDA in coordination with the customs officials at various entry points were working to prevent entry of these products into the Kingdom. He warned that these brands of cosmetics posed serious health hazards.

"High levels of exposure to these cosmetics would cause diseases such as anemia, kidney problems, and even kidney failure as well as neurological damage that may include seizure and coma. Even at relatively low levels, chronic exposure to lead may result in growth deficiency as well as in learning and behavior problems," he said.

According to Al-Sultan, the SFDA carries out lab analyses of all consumer goods including foodstuffs, medicines and cosmetics at regular intervals, especially when there are warnings from the concerned authorities against use of some products. It also analyzes random samples of consumer goods collected from the local market.

Within its role of surveillance, monitoring and control of safety and security of consumer goods, the SFDA collected samples of cosmetics and facials of various brands and analyzed these at its laboratories to ascertain whether they were free from heavy metals and bacterial contamination. "It has been found in the analysis that three of these cosmetics are contaminated with high percentages of lead. Therefore, the SFDA urged consumers not to buy these and get rid of the products already purchased," he said.

Al-Sultan also urged the public to take note of the particulars of such products, including their manufacturer, ingredients, operation number as well as manufacturing and expiry date, before purchasing. Earlier, the SFDA banned some eye kohl brands for their high percentage of lead and directed to recall these products from the local market.

© Arab News 2011

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