Spurious cosmetics worth ₹9.64 lakh seized in Thiruvananthapuram

The Drugs Control Department in Thiruvananthapuram has seized cosmetics products worth ₹9.64 lakh, according to Health Minister K. Muraleedharan. This seizure was part of Operation Soundarya launched by the department. The seized products included face creams that violated the Cosmetics Rules of 2020 and were manufactured without the required licences.

The investigation revealed that two brands of face cream, 'Faiza' and 'Goree', contained mercury at levels far exceeding the legal limit of 1 parts per million (ppm). The permissible limit is 1 ppm, but these creams were found to have mercury content ranging from 20,000 to 19,000 ppm. These Pakistan-made cosmetics arrived in the market without purchase bills, the Minister noted.

The Health Minister stated that steps were taken to withdraw these harmful products from the market. The seizure of these cosmetics was part of four rounds of Operation Soundarya, with the first phase alone resulting in the seizure of products valued at ₹5.09 lakh. The subsequent phases saw seizures of products worth ₹2.50 lakh, ₹1.5 lakh, and ₹55,000 respectively.

The operation targeted the sale of harmful cosmetics that could adversely affect the health of consumers, particularly children and teenagers. The inspection covered various cosmetic products including lipsticks, powders, oils, and soaps. As part of the inspection process, samples of these products were sent for testing to the department's drug testing laboratories in Thiruvananthapuram and Ernakulam.