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Warning Notice to the Public on the Recall of Purity Essentials Baby Powder Product

Warning Notice to the Public on the Recall of Purity Essentials Baby Powder Product

Consumer Welfare & Advocacy

The COMESA Competition Commission (the “Commission”) hereby notifies the general public that Tiger Brands Limited, South Africa, (herein referred to as “Tiger Brands”), has recalled certain batches of its PURITY Essentials Baby Powder product. This follows a detection of trace levels of asbestos in test samples from a batch of pharmaceutical-grade talc powder used as raw material in the production of the finished powder products.

Various studies have established that talc powder contaminated with asbestos causes cancer, including the following:

  1. The International Agency for Research in Cancer, which falls under the World Health Organization classifies the perineal (genital) use of talc-based body powder as “possibly carcinogenic to humans”.
  2. Steffen, J.E., et al., 2020 a study on serous ovarian cancer caused by exposure to asbestos and fibrous talc in cosmetic talc powders established that eight out of 10 cases included asbestos.
  3. Johnson, K.E., et al., 2020, a study on analytic comparison of talc in commercially available baby powder and pelvic tissues resected from ovarian carcinoma patients established that talc particles in the baby powder were similar in sizes and shapes to talc particles in resected tissue and that talcum powder could migrate deep inside the uterus, increasing the ovarian cancer risk.

Tiger Brands has indicated that the recall is precautionary as the raw material with the detected trace levels of asbestos did not meet the company’s quality and safety standards. However, the general public should be informed that the recall does not affect Purity Essentials Baby Cornstarch Powder or any other Baby Care products under the Purity brand.

The specific batches of the recalled baby powder are listed in the table below:

Product Description Weight Barcode
1. Purity Essentials Baby Powder/
Purity & Elizabeth Anne’s Essentials Baby Powder		 100g 6009523601859
2. Purity Essentials Baby Powder /
Purity & Elizabeth Anne’s Essentials Baby Powder		 200g 6009523601866
3. Purity Essentials Baby Powder /
Purity & Elizabeth Anne’s Essentials Baby Powder		 400g 6009523601828
4. Purity & Elizabeth Anne’s Fresh Baby Powder 400g 6009523604515

Further details regarding the product recall can be accessed through the following link:

Tiger Brands | Purity | Essentials Baby Powder

The Commission has established from Tiger Brands that the recalled products are sold within the Common Market, specifically in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Eswatini, Seychelles, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Pursuant to Article 30(1)(b) of the COMESA Competition Regulations (“the Regulations”), the Commission therefore wishes to inform the general public to exercise caution and avoid the purchase or consumption of the above-recalled products, and return them to the point of purchase for a refund from Tiger Brands.

The Commission further wishes to advise any person who purchased and/ or consumed the product and is unable to secure a refund or compensation, or who establishes that the recalled product is being sold in other countries of the Common Market, to report the matter to the Commission on +265 (0) 1 772466 or contact the undersigned on mdisasa@comesa.int; or Mr. Steven Kamukama, Manager Consumer Welfare and Advocacy Division on skamukama@comesa.int. Affected persons may also contact their national consumer protection institutions or any other body with the mandate on consumer protection in their countries.

The Commission commends Tiger Brands for the proactive and cautious approach it has taken and wishes that other suppliers of consumer products act in a similar manner to ensure the health and safety of consumers is guaranteed.

 

Meti Demissie Disasa

Registrar

COMESA Competition Commission

5th Floor, Kang’ombe House

P.O. Box 30742, Lilongwe 3, Malawi

Office Phone: +265 (0) 1 772466

Email: compcom@comesa.int

Consumer Alert on Pyramid Schemes

Consumer Welfare & Advocacy

The COMESA Competition Commission (‘the Commission’) wishes to advise consumers to be on the lookout for pyramid schemes. A pyramid scheme is where a business and its partners encourage people to join at a fee. The people that join are also required to recruit others at a fee to make money. Members of a pyramid scheme make money through the recruitment of others.

The Commission’s attention has been drawn to the activities of Crowd1, which markets itself as a digital multi-level marketing company and whose operations are being investigated in some jurisdictions.  Specifically, the Commission has noted that authorities in the Philippines and Namibia found that Crowd1 members make money by recruiting others and has since been banned in Namibia. In Philippines, authorities issued a cease and desist order to Crowd1 for operating without a license. Further, authorities in Mauritius and New Zealand have issued investor alerts, advising the public to exercise caution in their dealings with Crowd1. Consumers should also be aware that concerns have been raised on the operations of Crowd1 in South Africa where the relevant authorities are still assessing the complaints raised.

The Commission has observed that some pyramid schemes pose as multi-level marketers that pretend to be selling products. However, at close glance there are no sustainable earnings from the sale of the products and members are often advised to recruit others to make money. Pyramid schemes are not sustainable as those at the top of the pyramid benefit at the expense of new recruits.

Consumers are therefore advised to exercise caution when dealing with Crowd 1 and also conduct research about companies they wish to invest in to avoid losing their hard-earned money.