The Ministry of Health and Child Care has ordered the removal of Purity Essential Baby Powder from shops following a discovery that the product had a cancer-causing substance.
By Kudakwashe Pembere
This product is being recalled by its manufacturer Tiger Brands in South Africa after finding it contained impermissible levels of asbestos.
“Tiger Brands of South Africa is recalling the Purity Essential Baby Powder from shops. The products contain unacceptable levels of asbestos which causes rare cancer called mesothelioma. The traces were recently detected in test samples prompting the recall of the product,” said the Health and Child Care Permanent Secretary Air Commodore Jasper Chimedza in a statement.
With most imports coming from South Africa where Tiger Brands is headquartered and has factories, the Health Perm Sec said chances are high the recalled product may have entered in Zimbabwe. He also ordered the interception of the products at Zimbabwe’s points of entry.
“Given that a significant number of products in our supermarkets are sourced from South Africa, there is a possibility that some batches of the baby powder in question are already in Zimbabwe. These products should be removed from the shelves or intercepted at points of entry. Let’s inform the public of this harmful product to stop further distribution of the product within the country due to its negative health effects,” he said.
Mesothelioma is a type of cancer that occurs in the thin layer of tissue that covers the majority of your internal organs known as mesothelium. It’s usually linked to asbestos exposure. Mesothelioma is an aggressive and deadly form of cancer. Mesothelioma treatments are available, but for many people with mesothelioma, a cure isn’t possible.
