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| One of the Goree products found to contain dangerous mercury levels |
Hong Kong Customs has again warned the public to stop using three types of Goree whitening cream, one of which reportedly caused a woman to be hospitalized for mercury poisoning.
This time around,
employers were specifically put on notice to check if their foreign domestic
helpers have been using the tainted products, and to stop them if they do.
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| PINDUTIN DITO |
In previous
warnings about the products between November last year and February this year,
a number of those who had to be taken to hospital for mercury poisoning after
using Goree day and night cream were all Filipina domestic helpers.
Customs said in
a statement issued Thursday that laboratory tests showed the three Goree
products contained between 23,000 to
24,000 times the allowed level of mercury.
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| This product was found to have 24,000 times more than the prescribed mercury level |
In a press release issued Thursday, Customs identified the products as Goree Lycopene (avocado and aloe vera), Goree Day & Night Beauty Cream and Goree Gold Beauty Cream.
The 43-year-old
patient whose nationality was not disclosed, was diagnosed with proteinuria (or
excessive levels of protein in the urine) after using two skin-whitening cream
products for a few weeks. Test on her urine and blood samples showed the
presence of mercury levels far exceeding the allowed range.
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| Basahin ang detalye! |
She remained hospitalized
as of this writing but was reported to
be in stable condition.
Customs said the
level of mercury in the product the patient had used was 23,000 parts per
million, or 23,000 times more than the allowed limit. Later, Customs discovered
that the levels of mercury in two other types of whitening cream products of
the same brand reached 24,000 ppm or 24,000 times the maximum permitted limit.
All the products
were also found to bear warnings or cautions only in English, without Chinese
translations, which is said to be in contravention of the Consumer Goods Safety
Regulation (CGSR), a subsidiary legislation of the CGSO.
Following this
finding, Customs conducted a raid on a shop in Central where the patient had
bought the mercury-laden product, and seized a total of 352 boxes of the three
types of whitening creams. The retailer was also served with a prohibition
notice, forbidding it from further selling the products.
A 40-year-old
man managing the shop and a 45-year-old saleswoman were arrested in connection
with the case, but were subsequently released on police bail pending further
investigation.
The press
statement said further arrests have not been ruled out.
However, a
follow-up operation in other districts failed to yield any of the prohibited
products.
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| The third Goree product that could lead to kidney failure after prolonged use |
The government advisory said chronic exposure to mercury can cause damage to the nervous system and kidneys, potentially causing renal failure. Symptoms may include tremors, irritability, insomnia, memory deterioration, concentration difficulty, impaired hearing and vision, and change in the taste function.
When buying
beauty products, the public is advised to stay away from dubious sources and
only patronize reputable shops. If they start to feel unwell after using beauty
products they must stop using the said products and seek medical attention immediately.
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