The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has confiscated 4,504 unregistered, counterfeit and potentially harmful cosmetic products during a week-long nationwide market surveillance operation across 15 regions.
The exercise, led by the FDA’s Regional Operations Directorate, targeted supermarkets, cosmetic stores and other retail outlets as part of efforts to protect consumers from unsafe cosmetic products containing prohibited substances such as hydroquinone and steroids.
According to the Authority, the operation led to the seizure and detention of thousands of unregistered products suspected to pose significant health risks.
The FDA has repeatedly cautioned the public against the use of cosmetics containing hydroquinone and steroids, warning that prolonged use can result in severe skin damage, permanent discolouration and other serious health complications.
Reaffirming its commitment to safeguarding public health, the Authority said it will continue to intensify market surveillance and enforcement activities to remove unsafe products from the market.
The FDA also advised consumers to purchase cosmetic products only from licensed outlets and to verify that products are registered with the Authority before use.
