Pretoria -The National Regulator for Compulsory Specifications (NRCS) on Tuesday announced the recall of the new Dettol Disinfectant Liquid and Domestos Extended Germ Kill.
The two products have not met regulatory requirements.
The Dettol Disinfectant Liquid has not been registered with the regulator and its compliance to safety standards could not be ascertained by the NRCS.
General manager for chemicals, mechanical and materials, Thomas Madzivhe, told the media this morning that the product; specifically the disinfectant that has been imported from the United Kingdom, has been recalled from all retailers across the country.
The NRCS, which monitors products, has since April been dealing with products in the disinfectant and detergent industry. The regulator is a public entity that administers compulsory specifications, otherwise known as technical regulations, on behalf of the Minister of Trade and Industry.
NRCS Act
The National Regulator for Compulsory Specifications Act was gazetted in July 2008 and took effect on 1 September 2008. It provides for the administration and maintenance of compulsory specifications in the interest of public safety and health as well as for environmental protection.
“We identified non-compliant ones. In this instance, we’re talking about Dettol disinfectant liquid and once we identify such products we communicate this either to the importer or the retailer where we found the products to direct them to stop selling such. Our Act is very clear - any product that we regulate cannot access the market without obtaining approvals from ourselves and this product in question doesn’t have that,” Madzivhe explained.
Dettol Disinfectant Liquid was found not to meet administrative regulatory requirements and does not meet the minimum health and safety requirements.
In instances where safety and health of consumers could be affected, the regulator takes steps to inform the public about the recall and that the product does not meet the regulator’s requirements.
For products to be sold on the market, the NRCS has registration requirements of which the products must comply with either with its packaging and test reports among others. The regulator then issues a specific number which will normally be on the product itself to indicate that it meets requirements and is safe for use.
“This product has not met such. We went further to conduct tests and it indicated that it fails. It fails to meet our requirements and as such we advise the public not to use the product both on its technical tests and administrative requirements,” he explained.
The product can now “not be found anywhere”. The regulator however noted that products can slip through the system and “have a way to access vulnerable markets in rural areas”.
Domestos Extended Germ Kill
Also on Tuesday, the regulator announced the recall of Domestos Extended Germ Kill which was not found to pose any health risks to the public but was found not to meet administrative regulatory requirements.
“Products can be tested and found not [to] be failing technically. However, in terms of administrative processes, registering… they fail. Domestos [Extended Germ Kill] may not pose any health and safety risk to the consumer or the user as it stands currently, however, following administrative processes if it doesn’t have approval from our side it cannot be sold. Once we identify any non-compliance we issue you with a directive that you will stop selling the product. That matter we are addressing internally. It’s a matter that they follow the processes, they register the product, pay the levies and then sell the product,” said Madzivhe. The product has been taken off the shelves.
NRCS to destroy detergents
The regulator will destroy 4 000 units of Dettol Disinfectant Liquid and over 8 000 Domestos Extended Germ Kill units.
The regulator called on the public not to buy Dettol Disinfectant Liquid. It called on the public to contact it on (012) 428-5000 should they find it on the market. The recall does not affect Domestos Thick bleach and Dettol range (including Dettol Hygiene Liquid and Dettol Antiseptic Liquid).
NRCS strengthening regulation
Products that are regulated by the NRCS include automotive products and fish and fishery products.
The regulator is strengthening regulation on products (that fall under its scope) that are imported into the country.
“We do have currently a pilot project on border enforcement where we are strengthening our collaboration with SARS, border police (among others) even to the extent of linking our IT systems. We are almost at the third place of piloting now; we have been to Durban [and] Cape Town. We are spreading to other provinces but are supplementing the day to day market surveillance to identify non-compliance.”
The regulator is also moving to a stage where it will use tariff codes to stop non-complainant products that have been imported from coming into the market. The list has been given to SARS so that when the product reaches South African shores, it is stopped until an NRCS inspector inspects the products. - SAnews.gov.za
