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BFAD to train sights on China-made cosmetics

abs-cbnNEWS.com | 10/06/2008 12:11 PM

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The Bureau of Food and Drugs on Monday said the bureau will be inspecting beauty products that come from China after doing tests on China-made food products sold in the Philippine market.

“Siguro kung napakarami nyan dapat namin nga silang suriin pero sa ngayon nga we are very much aware of the melamine scare so iyan ngayon ang aming pinagtutuunan ng pansin ng aming mga resources. Siguro itong sa mga cosmetics ay isusunod na pagkatapos noong sa food,” BFAD Director Leticia Gutierrez told ABS-CBN.

Gutierrez said manufacturers follow a list of permissible additives for cosmetics, which is decided upon by ASEAN countries. She stated that so far, the BFAD hasn’t discovered any major case of tainted beauty products.

“Sa ngayon wala pa. Kasi ganito rin iyan eh. Mayroon kaming tinatawag na permissible additives for cosmetics. It’s a list decided on by ASEAN countries in the region. So dapat ang mga manufacturers will stick to this list. Sa aming market monitoring at random sampling, nagchecheck din kami kung naglalagay sila ng bawal,” she said.

Congressmen Luis Villafuerte, Martin Romualdez, and Aurelio Gonzales have asked the lower chamber and the BFAD to check whether cosmetic companies are using harmful ingredients that have been banned or restricted in other countries for health hazards.

The lawmakers cited US National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health studies which show that nearly 900 of the chemicals used in Chinese cosmetics are toxic and have been linked to deadly side effects such as skin cancer, skin allergies, asthma, reproductive orders, and damage to a fetus.

Meanwhile, Gutierrez said that the BFAD will be releasing its second list of results from their inspection of China-made milk products by early Wednesday morning at the latest.

“Ang test ongoing iyan kahit on weekends at holidays. So ang second batch according sa division chief ng aming laboratory, matatapos nila by Tuesday afternoon pati ang mga computations. Ang next step kasi niyan ay isusubmit sa secretary of health. Siguro if not Tuesday late afternoon ay early Wednesday morning,” she said.  

as of 10/06/2008 12:11 PM