‘Adulterated’ beauty product still being sold

A beauty product, earlier found by the Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD) to have deviated from its indicated formulation, has been allowed to be sold to the public despite the possible public health risk involved.

A BFAD report said the RDL Babyface Astringent, was "not only adulterated but also misbranded" and that its factory in Davao City did not comply with the bureau’s "good manufacturing practice (GMP) policy" to make sure products are clean and of high quality to protect public health.

The findings were on top of the product not having BFAD registration, which is required before any product of that nature could be sold.

BFAD regulation officer Rhoda Laine Manaloto said in a report dated January 2000 that RDL Babyface Astringent "did not conform to its label claim and to a BFAD approved label, rendering the product not only adulterated but misbranded.

Manaloto had recommended legal action against RDL.

Months later, BFAD rejected the registration application of the product for "non-conformity to product specification" and yet allowed it to be sold anew.

Last August, acting on a complaint, BFAD seized more than 60,000 bottles of RDL Babyface in the company’s premises in Davao City.

But again a BFAD official allegedly released them "for reasons of financial burden" and because RDL had filed a new application to register. The astringent was finally registered last Dec. 27.

In her report, Manaloto said the samples showed varying potency, meaning the formulation of one batch of the product differed from another.

"The factory also failed to conform with GMP due to unreadable lot and number and expiry date," she said.