Among 25 types of perfume and 25 types of nail polish tested by the Consumers’ Foundation, three perfumes contained di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) — including one exceeding the legal limit, while eight products contained diethyl phthalate (DEP), both of which could harm users’ health.
The foundation yesterday said it randomly bought the perfumes and nail polishes from various stores and hypermarkets in six cities and counties in July and August, and had them tested for phthalates at the Electronics Testing Center and a laboratory at National Tsing Hua University (NTHU).
The test results showed none of the nail polish products contained phthalates exceeding legal limits, but four products did not meet the labeling requirements stipulated by the Statute for Control of Cosmetic Hygiene (化粧品衛生管理條例).
Among the perfumes tested, Dolly Girl by Anna Sui (eau de toilette spray) was found to contain DEHP levels exceeding the legal limit of 100 parts per million (ppm), and should be taken off shelves.
Two other perfume products were found with DEHP levels between 20 to 30ppm, and eight products found with DEP levels exceeding 100ppm, it added.
NTHU chemistry professor Ling Yong-chien (林永健) said that according to a list of chemicals in cosmetics prohibited or restricted by the Food and Drug Administration, DEHP should not be used in cosmetics, but they are difficult to manufacture without it, so the legal limit was set at 100ppm.
Although there is no legal limit for DEP levels in cosmetics, exposure to the substance can harm the human body, he said, adding that phthalate exposure might lead to increased risks of hypospadias or testicular cancer in men, and breast cancer or endometrial cancer in women.
The foundation urged the government to set a legal limit for DEP levels in cosmetics to protect consumers from overexposure to the chemical, and that consumers are encouraged to read the instructions carefully before usage, especially people with sensitive skin.
Former Czech Republic-based Taiwanese researcher Cheng Yu-chin (鄭宇欽) has been sentenced to seven years in prison on espionage-related charges, China’s Ministry of State Security announced yesterday. China said Cheng was a spy for Taiwan who “masqueraded as a professor” and that he was previously an assistant to former Cabinet secretary-general Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰). President-elect William Lai (賴清德) on Wednesday last week announced Cho would be his premier when Lai is inaugurated next month. Today is China’s “National Security Education Day.” The Chinese ministry yesterday released a video online showing arrests over the past 10 years of people alleged to be
THE HAWAII FACTOR: While a 1965 opinion said an attack on Hawaii would not trigger Article 5, the text of the treaty suggests the state is covered, the report says NATO could be drawn into a conflict in the Taiwan Strait if Chinese forces attacked the US mainland or Hawaii, a NATO Defense College report published on Monday says. The report, written by James Lee, an assistant research fellow at Academia Sinica’s Institute of European and American Studies, states that under certain conditions a Taiwan contingency could trigger Article 5 of NATO, under which an attack against any member of the alliance is considered an attack against all members, necessitating a response. Article 6 of the North Atlantic Treaty specifies that an armed attack in the territory of any member in Europe,
LIKE FAMILY: People now treat dogs and cats as family members. They receive the same medical treatments and tests as humans do, a veterinary association official said The number of pet dogs and cats in Taiwan has officially outnumbered the number of human newborns last year, data from the Ministry of Agriculture’s pet registration information system showed. As of last year, Taiwan had 94,544 registered pet dogs and 137,652 pet cats, the data showed. By contrast, 135,571 babies were born last year. Demand for medical care for pet animals has also risen. As of Feb. 29, there were 5,773 veterinarians in Taiwan, 3,993 of whom were for pet animals, statistics from the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Agency showed. In 2022, the nation had 3,077 pediatricians. As of last
XINJIANG: Officials are conducting a report into amending an existing law or to enact a special law to prohibit goods using forced labor Taiwan is mulling an amendment prohibiting the importation of goods using forced labor, similar to the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) passed by the US Congress in 2021 that imposed limits on goods produced using forced labor in China’s Xinjiang region. A government official who wished to remain anonymous said yesterday that as the US customs law explicitly prohibits the importation of goods made using forced labor, in 2021 it passed the specialized UFLPA to limit the importation of cotton and other goods from China’s Xinjiang Uyghur region. Taiwan does not have the legal basis to prohibit the importation of goods