Consumer Council says sale of expired goods poses a health and beauty risk to women
Inconsistent labelling of cosmetic goods is putting the health and beauty of Hongkongers and international visitors at risk, the Consumer Council warned yesterday.
The council said the level of information on the durability - storage instructions, how long it will last once opened, when it was made, what its use-by date is - of cosmetic products varied greatly from brand to brand.
It called on manufacturers to improve the clarity of their labelling 'for the safety and protection of consumers'.
'The information should disclose the date of manufacture, the expiry date and the period of time that a product can be used, after opening, without any harm to the consumer,' council publicity and community relations chairman Matthew Ng said.
Cosmetics manufacturers or traders are not required to display durability information on their products.
A quick survey by the South China Morning Post of about 30 products in a local supermarket found significant disparities between brands in the level of information available.