Maha FDA Soon to Hold Talks with Loreal, Hindustan Unilever to Prevent Fake Cosmetics Supply

The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will soon hold the much awaited talks with cosmetic manufacturers like Loreal, Hindustan Unilever among other major players for framing a policy to prevent illegal supply of spurious cosmetics in the interest of consumers.
Recommendation to come out with tamper-proof packaging among other strategies will be discussed with the companies to curtail circulation of fake cosmetics in the state, according to an FDA official. This comes in the aftermath of Maharashtra FDA having detected cases of spurious cosmetics which were being manufactured and allegedly sold in packs of reputed brands. This was then sold to customers through online mode, super markets and beauty parlours.
The cosmetics were being manufactured and sold in contravention to Section 27(a) (1) and Section 17 D (d) of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act. Prosecution has been launched against the offenders involved in manufacturing fake cosmetic products without license. FDA vigilance team raided three premises across Mumbai and spurious products worth over Rs. 10 lakh were seized as part of the crackdown.
Cases of spurious cosmetics have been rampant in the last one year and the state drug regulator is planning to introduce a trace and track mechanism to curb the clandestine activity. Central government is also planning to print a 14-digit number on the labels of pharmaceutical brands along with a mobile number of the manufacturer. This will help check the genuineness and quality of a drug by sending a text message to the given number to get details of the manufacturer, batch number or expiry date.
The illegal supply of fake cosmetics involved sourcing out semi-finished products like shampoo, cream, ointment, oil and other products of the reputed brands and also the packaging material for further refilling and repacking.