The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (MFDA) on Sunday warned consumers against using three cosmetic products after laboratory tests found mercury and lead levels far above the permissible limits, according to a report by NDTV Marathi on Sunday.
The MFDA declared the following products as substandard: Goree Beauty Cream, Face Fresh Gold (Beauty Cream + Beauty Serum), and Golden Star Beauty Cream.
The MFDA warned that prolonged use of these products could damage the kidneys, nervous system and skin.
The drug regulator urged consumers to immediately stop using, purchasing or distributing these products. The investigation also revealed that the products did not carry mandatory information such as the manufacturer’s name and address, batch number, manufacturing date and expiry date.
The MFDA directed all retailers, wholesalers, distributors and e-commerce platforms to immediately halt the sale and stocking of these products. Authorities have further instructed businesses to submit a report to the FDA detailing the products recalled from the market and the remaining stock in their possession.
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The administration has appealed to citizens to purchase cosmetic products only from authorised sellers and to ensure that the packaging clearly displays all required labelling and product information.
The issue gained attention after entrepreneur and social media personality Chirag Barjatya shared a post on X highlighting cases from Maharashtra.
According to Barjatya, doctors in Nagpur observed that 18 women who developed kidney problems over a period of two years had all been using Goree Beauty Cream, which was allegedly being sold through Instagram pages and online marketplaces.
Barjatya claimed that FDA testing found the cream contained mercury levels 752 times above the legal limit.
According to Barjatya, the high mercury content in the cream suppresses melanin production through chemical damage to the skin, making it appear lighter. He further claimed that the toxic metal can accumulate in the kidneys, causing serious damage over time.
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