FDA publishes alert on contaminated cosmetics

The ‘Detention Without Physical Examination of Cosmetics Due to Microbiological Contamination’, Import alert 53-17, has been issued along with a list of firms and their products subject to the alert.

The FDA import alerts report and disseminate import information (problems, violative trends, etc.) providing for more uniform and effective import coverage.

They seek to identify problem commodities, shippers & importers and provide guidance to District offices for Detention Without Physical Examination (DWPE) of products which appear to be in violation.

According to the FDA, the reason for this alert is because: “Laboratory analyses have found Citrobacter freundii and Pseudomonas stutzeri in eye shadow and Xanthomonas maltophilia and a high aerobic plate count in the eye shadow component of a make-up kit.”​

In addition, the FDA stated “a high count of Staphylococcus saprophyticus was found in the lipstick components of a cosmetic tote bag.​”​

The FDA has informed District offices that they may detain and analyze all cosmetics, such as lipstick and/or eye shadow, from firms identified in its list.

"The article (eye shadow, make-up kit, cosmetic tote bag) is subject to refusal of admission pursuant Section 801(a)(3) in that the eye shadow/eye shadow component of the make-up kit/cosmetic tote bag appears to contain a poisonous or deleterious substance which may render it injurious to health,”​ said the report.

It also states that the eye shadow component of the make-up kit and the lipstick component of the cosmetic tote bag appear to have been prepared, packed, or held under insanitary conditions whereby it may have been contaminated with filth.

A list of the firms and their products which are subject to DWPE can be found here​.