FDA Bans Bleaching Creams

The acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), Mrs Mimi Darko told the Committee that the FDA has since last year stopped registering body creams with bleaching agents.

Hydroquinine is an agent that causes bleaching. Scientists have conducted several studies to prove the agent can cause skin cancer.

Answering questions posed by the Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), Mr James Avedzi, on what the FDA was doing about bleaching creams, Mrs Mimi Darko said a lot had been done.

For instance, she noted that the FDA was currently engaging in sensitization programmes to educate market women and other groups on the negative effects of bleaching.

The Committee commended the FDA for its performance so far and urged it to do more to protect consumers in the country.