In Brief: FDA Import Alert
This article was originally published in The Rose Sheet
Executive Summary
FDA Import Alert: FDA's Division of Import Operations and Policy revises Jan. 10, 1994 alert #53-15: "Automatic Detention of Eye Area Cosmetics Containing Kohl or Kajal." The revised alert, issued Jan. 26, includes the color "surma" -- the Arab term for kohl -- to the original alert and India and Pakistan to the list of import countries. These colors, used in eyeliners and pencils, "may present a hazard to health because of their heavy [lead] content," the alert states. In a separate report, the New York State Department of Health indicated one case of lead poisoning from surma resulting in death. According to FDA, the products containing these colors are currently being sold in U.S. specialty stores selling Middle Eastern products...