Hong Kong Customs seizes suspected unsafe whitening cream (with photo)

     Hong Kong Customs today (May 16) seized a total of 429 boxes of suspected unsafe whitening cream from a retailer cum importer in Tsim Sha Tsui and its warehouse in Yuen Long.

     Customs earlier conducted a test-buy operation on the whitening cream from a local market for safety testing and found that the mercury content of the whitening cream samples exceeded the permissible limit specified in the relevant safety standard.

     Customs officers conducted the operation today and seized the batch of whitening creams from the retailer cum importer in Tsim Sha Tsui and its warehouse in Yuen Long. Prohibition notice was also served on the retailer cum importer, prohibiting the continued sale of the relevant whitening creams.

     Under the Consumer Goods Safety Ordinance (CGSO), it is an offence to supply, manufacture or import into Hong Kong consumer goods unless the goods comply with the general safety requirements for consumer goods. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $100,000 and imprisonment for one year on first conviction, and $500,000 and imprisonment for two years on subsequent conviction.

     Customs will continue conducting spot checks with a view to protecting consumers' safety.

     Customs reminds traders to comply with the requirements of the CGSO and members of the public not to buy or use whitening cream of unknown composition or obtained from doubtful sources.
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     Members of the public with information relating to unsafe consumer goods may make a report via Customs' 24-hour hotline 2545 6182 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk).