The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Saturday ordered two types of cosmetic products manufactured by Tainan-based TJ Group (台鉅集團) off shelves nationwide after they were found to contain asbestos.
The order came after US and Canadian authorities on July 3 informed the agency that five foreign-branded beauty products sold in those countries that were found to contain asbestos were made by a contract manufacturer in Taiwan.
A preliminary investigation by the FDA found that four of the products were made by TJ Group, which was on July 9 ordered to remove the products from shelves nationwide as a precautionary measure.
Photo: Wu Chun-fong, Taipei Times
As a follow-up measure, the FDA inspected the company’s factory in Tainan and released the results of tests it conducted on nine of the 12 samples collected from the plant.
It said that City Color Contour Palette and Contour Palette 2 Bronze Highlight were found to contain asbestos and were ordered off shelves.
About 60 products, all manufactured by Fuqing Jianing Cosmetics Co (福清佳寧化妝品有限), a TJ Group subsidiary in China, were already on the market, the FDA said.
Photo: Wu Liang-yi, Taipei Times
People who had bought the two products should stop using them immediately and ask for a refund from the store where they bought them, FDA cosmetics and drug division chief Chang Chia-jung (張家榮) told a news conference.
Remaining samples are still being tested, with the results expected to be released on Thursday or Friday, the FDA said.
According to the Cosmetic Hygiene and Safety Act (化妝品衛生安全管理法), TJ Group could be fined NT$20,000 to NT$5 million (US$643 to US$160,823), Chang said.
The company has been ordered to complete the product recall within two weeks, he added.
Tainan authorities working with FDA officials on Friday inspected TJ Group’s offices and seized 385 products — 340 sets of City Color Contour Palette and 45 sets of Contour Palette 2 Bronze Highlight — the Tainan Department of Health said.
The Tainan City Government has instructed the company to submit a recall plan within seven days and alert retailers of the recall, the department said.
The company said it imported 457 of the products from China last year and removed them from shelves after receiving notification last month that similar products were found to contain asbestos.
Asbestos poses serious health hazards, Chang said.
Chinese spouse and influencer Guan Guan’s (關關) residency permit has been revoked for repeatedly posting pro-China videos that threaten national security, the National Immigration Agency confirmed today. Guan Guan has said many controversial statements in her videos posted to Douyin (抖音), including “the red flag will soon be painted all over Taiwan” and “Taiwan is an inseparable part of China,” and expressing hope for expedited reunification. The agency last year received multiple reports alleging that Guan Guan had advocated for armed reunification. After verifying the reports, the agency last month issued a notice requiring her to appear and explain her actions. Guan
GIVE AND TAKE: Blood demand continues to rise each year, while fewer young donors are available due to the nation’s falling birthrate, a doctor said Blood donors can redeem points earned from donations to obtain limited edition Formosan black bear travel mugs, the Kaohsiung Blood Center said yesterday, as it announced a goal of stocking 20,000 units of blood prior to the Lunar New Year. The last month of the lunar year is National Blood Donation Month, when local centers seek to stockpile blood for use during the Lunar New Year holiday. The blood demand in southern Taiwan — including Tainan and Kaohsiung, as well as Chiayi, Pingtung, Penghu and Taitung counties — is about 2,000 units per day, the center said. The donation campaign aims to boost
The Kaohsiung Tourism Bureau audited six hotels in an effort to prevent price gouging ahead of Korean band BTS’ concert tour in the city scheduled for Nov. 19, 21 and 22 this year. The bureau on Friday said that the audits — conducted in response to allegations of unfair pricing posted on social media — found no wrongdoing. These establishments included the local branches of Chateau de Chine, Hotel Nikko, My Humble House, and Grand Hai Lai, it said, adding that the Consumer Protection Commission would have penalized price gougers had the accusations been substantiated. The bureau said the Tourism Development Act
A preclearance service to facilitate entry for people traveling to select airports in Japan would be available from Thursday next week to Feb. 25 at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, Taoyuan International Airport Corp (TIAC) said on Tuesday. The service was first made available to Taiwanese travelers throughout the winter vacation of 2024 and during the Lunar New Year holiday. In addition to flights to the Japanese cities of Hakodate, Asahikawa, Akita, Sendai, Niigata, Okayama, Takamatsu, Kumamoto and Kagoshima, the service would be available to travelers to Kobe and Oita. The service can be accessed by passengers of 15 flight routes operated by
RSS