The GSA, has condemned a news article purporting that both organisations are in contempt of court even though none of the organisations has been charged as such. In a sign of the growing collaboration between the two sister organisations toward the protection of consumers and the promotion of trade and removal of nuisance requirements for industry players, the Director-General of the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA), Prof Alex Dodoo, has outlined the position of the GSA in relation to cosmetics standards in Ghana and the role of the FDA.

“The GSA gazetted the standards on cosmetics after extensive collaboration with industry, consumers, the FDA and all other stakeholders. It is, therefore, strange that these are being challenged by individuals and organisations who have so far not identified themselves nor the basis for their resistance,” Prof Dodoo lamented.

Furthermore, the news item in relation to hydroquinone blames the GSA and FDA for “banning” the substance for its use as a “medicine”.

The GSA will like once again to state that hydroquinone is banned for use in cosmetics as per Ghana Standard GS 227-2:2017 but it is not banned for use as a medicine. Those wishing to incorporate it into products for use as medicines are, therefore, at liberty to apply to the FDA for approval whereupon the necessary regulatory processes would be undertaken to safeguard public health and safety.

The GSA's mission is to “contribute to the growth of industry, protect consumers and facilitate trade through metrology, standardisation and conformity assessments.

Specifically, the GSA also highlighted the fact that it is not only hydroquinone which is banned for use in cosmetics but several other products as stated in the use of hydroquinone in cosmetics, the Ghana Standard, GS 227-2:2017 which provides a list of substances not permitted in cosmetic products.

The Ghana National Standard on Cosmetic Products was prepared by the Technical Committee on Cosmetics, i.e. GSA/TC 3 and based on the European Union Cosmetics Directives, DIR 76/768/EEC. This standard is the second edition, which cancels and replaces the previous edition GS 227-2:2006 Cosmetics – Code of practice for cosmetic industries.

Side -effects of HQ are both acute and chronic. Acute complications include irritant or allergic contact dermatitis and post inflammatory hyper- and hypopigmentation. Of these, irritant reactions are most common.

Chronic adverse effects related to exposure to hydroquinone are of greater concern. These complications include skin disorders such as ochronosis, nails discolouration, and eye disorders that can lead to blindness.

Ochronosis is the most common chronic complication related to long- term use of hydroquinone. Some countries such as the United States of America (U.S.A) continue to allow up to 2% Hydroquinone containing products to be sold as medicines, specifically, Over-the-Counter (OTC) medicines and up to 4% Hydroquinone containing products to be sold as prescription medicines.

However, it is worth noting that the Food and Drug Authority Administration (FDA) of the USA  lassifies Hydroquinone containing products as, “skin bleaching drug products” only to be sold as Over-the-Counter medicines or under prescription and not as a cosmetic product.

Hydroquinone is also on Canada's Cosmetics Ingredients Hotlist, which prohibits its use in cosmetics products for application on the skin or mucous membranes (Canada, 2008). The Canadian Government is planning to propose additional restrictions on the use of hydroquinone in nail systems and hair dyes and to propose additional restrictions on the use of hydroquinone containing products as prescription drugs rather than OTC (Canada, 2008).

Hydroquinone has also been banned in Europe and Japan for use in OTC skin lightening products (restricted use in artificial nail systems) due to questions about its safety based on rigorous scientific research undertaken by several renowned scientists.

It was banned in the European Union in 2001 due to concerns about leukodermaen-confetti (splotchy areas of hyperpigmentation) and exogenous ochronosis. It is prohibited for use in skin listeners in a few African countries including Rwanda and Kenya.

Prof. Dodoo encouraged Ghanaians to see the FDA and GSA as organisations whose main interest is the protection of consumers. He also wondered why the GSA, an agency of the Ministry of Trade and Industry, would want to put impediments in the way of any company except when public health and safety are compromised.

“The objectives of the GSA are two-fold: consumer protection and trade promotion. We hold these sacred. We will, however, stress that the safety of each and every consumer is paramount in all we do and we will put all other considerations aside to ensure that consumers are safe and are not exposed to any product that will compromise them health, safety and well-being,” Prof Dodoo emphasised.