Health ministry secretary of state Or Vandine at a press conference. Hong Menea
As of September this year, the Ministry of Heath had registered in excess of 7,000 cosmetic products, according to a senior official.
Ministry secretary of state and spokeswoman Or Vandine said Cambodian law requires that all such products are registered, in order to protect consumers.
“As of September, 7,407 cosmetic products have been registered. They have been imported from many different sources including South Korea, France and Singapore,” she said.
Vandine added that the sale or distribution of cosmetic products which have not been registered with the ministry in accordance with the law and sub-decree is illegal. If unlicensed goods are allowed to circulate in the community, they could potentially affect people’s health.
“Before purchasing cosmetics for your face or body, please examine the packaging to ensure it has been registered, as this is a guarantee that the product has been tested and is safe,” she said, adding that false advertising is another sphere issue which the ministry takes seriously.
“If someone makes misleading claims, like overstating the effect of a product, or suggesting it will have stronger effects than are realistic, the ministry will investigate,” she said.
She added that the ministry has an inspection team in its Department of Medicine, Cosmetics, Food and Medical Equipment. The inspectors conduct regular checks of markets and warehouses to ensure that counterfeit or poor-quality items do not reach the public.
In addition to the health ministry’s teams, the Ministry of Interior’s Anti-Counterfeiting Products Committee and anti-economic crime police department are actively working to eliminate the distribution of counterfeit goods.
“I remind all cosmetic businesses to comply with legal standards and register their products with the health ministry. This will contribute to public health and will help the national economy to grow,” added Vandine.
In 2021, the interior ministry’s anti-counterfeiting committee destroyed more than 70 tonnes of substandard or counterfeit medical devices and medication related to the Covid-19 pandemic, a clear indication of the scale of the problem.
The products included face masks, Covid-19 test kits, and other cases of medication.
The committee reminded all wholesalers and retailers that under no circumstances should they trade unregistered or counterfeited goods.
