The Customs and Excise Department today (November 15) urged members of public to stop using three types of unsafe cosmetic cream containing excessive mercury.
Customs officers have recently taken samples of cosmetic creams from the market for safety tests. Samples of three brands of facial cream, namely "7-days Special Eliminating Fredkle AB Set", "Qian Yan – Qu Ban Mei Bai Jia Ting Zhuang" and "LiLiki Whitening Day Cream", were found to have high mercury content.
| Brand name of facial cream | Mercury content detected |
|---|---|
| ---------------- | ---------------- |
| 7-days Special Eliminating Fredkle AB Set | 13,000 ppm – 15,000 ppm |
| Qian Yan – Qu Ban Mei Bai Jia Ting Zhuang | 7,800 ppm – 10,000 ppm |
| LiLiKi Whitening Day Cream | 1,232 ppm - 1,277 ppm |
The tolerable limit of mercury content stipulated in the "Hygienic Standard for Cosmetics, 2007 edition" of the People's Republic of China is 1 ppm.
So far, Customs has seized five boxes of "7 days Special Eliminating Fredkle AB Set", 25 boxes of "Qian Yan – Qu Ban Mei Bai Jia Ting Zhuang" and three boxes of "LiLiki Whitening Day Cream" from three shops in Tsuen Wan. Enforcement actions are continuing.
According to medical advice, mercury poisoning is caused by an excess of mercury in the body, causing damage mainly to the nervous system and kidneys. Symptoms may include tremors, irritability, insomnia, memory deterioration, difficulty in concentrating, impaired hearing and vision or change in taste. In the most severe cases, renal failure may occur. If consumers feel unwell after using the products, they are strongly advised to seek medical advice immediately.
The department is committed to the protection of consumer interests by ensuring that consumer goods, including cosmetic products, are reasonably safe for use by consumers.
The department keeps a close watch for unsafe products identified by local, Mainland and overseas authorities, and regularly conducts spot checks at retailers and draws samples for safety tests.
Under the Consumer Goods Safety Ordinance, it is an offence to supply, manufacture or import into Hong Kong consumer goods unless the goods comply with the general safety requirements for consumer goods.
The maximum penalty for the offence is a fine of $100,000 and imprisonment for one year on first conviction, and $500,000 and imprisonment for two years on subsequent conviction.
To report unsafe consumer goods, please call the Customs 24-hour hotline 2545 6182 or write to the Consumer Protection Bureau (1), Customs and Excise Department, 14/F, Customs Headquarters Building, 222 Java Road, North Point, Hong Kong.
