MANILA, Philippines—Are you fond of taking home toiletries from hotels? Think again before your start stuffing your suitcase with these goodies.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has warned the public that some of these products may pose health hazards as many of the suppliers do not have the licenses to supply these products.
According to FDA acting director general Kenneth Hartigan Go, the result of their random monitoring of 102 tourist establishments, including hotels, resorts and tourist inns, has shown that out of the 58 suppliers checked, 31 or 54 percent do not have a valid License to Operate from the FDA but still continue to supply toiletries to hotels.
“These hotel toiletries are considered health products that need FDA notification, consistent with the ASEAN Cosmetic Directive (ACD) Product Notification implemented by the Center for Cosmetic Regulation and Research (CCRR),” he explained.
Out of the 102 hotels, the FDA inspectors found out that toiletries used in these hotels came from 58 suppliers. On the average, one manufacturer or distributor supplies toiletries to at least two hotels but there was one that supplied to 21 hotels all over the country.
Around 21 percent of suppliers even provided mislabeled products to the hotels, having no brand names and other information on their packaging.
“This may also be due to hotels themselves repackaging the toiletries from their suppliers with hotel names, masking any information from its source,” Go said.
Only 17 out of the 58 or 29 percent of the hotel toiletries suppliers operate with a valid license, while 10 or 17 percent were unable to identify their suppliers.
Without naming the hotels, Go said the hotels would be advised “to demand documentation from their suppliers so that they will be assured that the products they acquire have been notified with the FDA.”
Meanwhile, appropriate action will be imposed upon the establishments that were found to be operating without a valid license to operate and selling cosmetic products without notifying FDA.
“For those that are lacking a few requirements, the FDA will be issuing them a Report of Violation and will be providing them 30 working days within which to comply with FDA Rules and Regulations,” Go said, as he advised the public to remain vigilant on the products that they use and see in the market as well as in hotels.
The FDA said the random monitoring of the tourist establishments was conducted last July.
“The monitoring was done to check the hotel toiletries in the said establishments, whether or not these products are duly notified with the FDA,” Go said.
He added that the mandate of the DOH-FDA to ensure product safety and quality for the protection of public health and welfare would have an impact on efforts to improve services in tourism and consumer products in retail trade.
“The data should aid the Department of Tourism in granting accreditation to tourist establishments,” he added.
