Food and Drug Administration: ‘Mercury found in L’Oreal products in 2nd round of testing’

In the batch (5N036C) of Garnier Men Power Light Face Wash, mercury levels at 234.9 parts per billion (ppb) were found. It was manufactured in February. In Garnier Men Power Light Fairness moisturiser (batch 5M147C), mercury levels had touched 20.16 ppb, FDA said. The moisturiser was manufactured in May 2015. Under the Section 17(E) of Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1945, both the fairness products have been found “adulterated”.

The Indian Express had first reported that FDA had found the presence of 0.6 ppm, 1.02 ppm, 1.69 ppm, 1.87 ppm and 2.38 ppm of mercury, respectively, in Garnier Men Power Light Intensive Fairness Facewash, Garnier Men Power Light Sweat+Oil Control Fairness Moisturiser, L’Oréal Pearl Perfect Fairness+Soothing Cream/Night, L’Oréal Pearl Perfect Fairness+ Moisturising Cream/Day and L’Oréal Pearl Perfect Re-Lighting Whitening Facial Foam.

Following the report, the firm had challenged the FDA report in the Central Drug Laboratory. “We are now waiting for the CDL report from Kolkata. Even if same products of different batches of L’Oreal are tested, the result will be the same if FDA is conducting it,” said L’Oreal India’s spokesperson.

Under 145D of Drugs and Cosmetics Rule, 1945, “no cosmetic containing mercury compounds shall be manufactured” in India. L’Oreal India has further stated that “mercury traces were below detectable levels in all tests.”

The L’Oreal product testing was prompted by a study conducted by The Center for Sciences and Environment which claimed that 44 per cent of popular fairness creams have traces of mercury in India. An official from the National Human Rights Commission had reportedly approached Maharashtra FDA to conduct tests on certain products for presence of mercury. According to the study, at least 14 popular brands had presence of mercury in their fairness products.

With L’Oreal disputing FDA reports, the state drug inspectors collected another sample from a Pune chemist named Sandeep Lahate. The fairness face wash and moisturiser, both manufactured in Pune’s Mahalunge city, were tested through a “method of analysis” used by L’Oreal. “This time we used different instrument and different method that L’Oreal uses. So that there is no dispute,” an FDA official said.

According to the FDA, L’Oreal had recalled its entire batch of five products and sent a detailed account of batch numbers of units recalled to the FDA commissioner. With the latest recall order issued, officials believe over 20,000 units already available in the market will need to be recalled.