Maharashtra FDA Bans Goree Beauty Cream Over Toxic Mercury Levels
The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a statewide ban on Goree Beauty Cream and two other skin-lightening products, citing alarmingly high levels of mercury and lead. The action follows reports from Nagpur, where 18 women developed severe kidney issues over a two-year period after prolonged use of the Pakistani-made cream. Laboratory tests conducted by the FDA revealed mercury concentrations in Goree Beauty Cream samples to be up to 752 times above the legally permissible limit.
Dangerous Ingredients and Health Risks
Beyond Goree Beauty Cream, the FDA also found Face Fresh Gold products (Beauty Cream and Beauty Serum) and Golden Star Beauty Cream to contain hazardous levels of heavy metals. These products, often used for skin lightening, work by blocking melanin production but can lead to significant mercury absorption through the skin.
Prolonged exposure to mercury and lead can cause severe damage to vital organs, including the kidneys and nervous system. Symptoms may include tremors, numbness, headaches, memory loss, chronic fatigue, and skin rashes. The US FDA also warns that mercury contamination can easily spread within households through shared items, posing risks to family members.
Regulatory Action and Wider Implications
The ban instructs retailers, wholesalers, distributors, and e-commerce platforms to immediately cease the sale, stocking, and distribution of these products. Stockists are also mandated to recall existing inventories and report quantities to the nearest FDA office. The FDA noted that the banned products lacked mandatory labeling details such as manufacturer information, batch numbers, and expiry dates, violating cosmetic regulations.
This statewide crackdown is part of a broader initiative by the Maharashtra FDA against unsafe and substandard products. Commissioner Tukaram Munde reported that the department conducted raids on 34 manufacturing units in June, seizing illegal drugs, medical products, and cosmetics valued at ₹4.12 crore.
Global Concerns Over Mercury in Cosmetics
Concerns over Goree-branded products are not new. International regulatory bodies have previously taken action:
- 2021 (New Zealand): Medsafe ordered consumers to stop using Goree Beauty Cream with Lycopene after detecting mercury and lead.
- 2025 (The Philippines): The Philippines FDA issued a public health advisory against Goree Beauty Kit products due to lack of regulatory authorization and safety concerns. Environmental watchdog BAN Toxics confirmed extremely high mercury levels in independent tests.
The Mumbai Police recently registered a criminal case against a shopkeeper for selling Goree cream, despite a central government ban on imports from Pakistan, further underscoring the product's contentious status.