Lifestyle
Warning Out on Fake Popular Spray Paint Brand with High Lead Content
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Quezon City- The toxics watchdog group EcoWaste Coalition has alerted consumers against the purchase and use of counterfeit Bosny Spray Paint that is marked “made in Thailand” but is actually manufactured in China, which may pose lead exposure risks.
In time for the commemoration of the Consumer Welfare Month and the International Lead Poisoning Prevention Week, the group reminded consumers to be on the lookout for fake Bosny Spray Paint after detecting lead levels above the 90 parts per million (ppm) limit in imitation products sold locally.
“Consumers are advised to exercise their rights in order not to fall victim to imitation Bosny paints, reportedly made in China, that contain lead additives,” said Manny Calonzo, Campaigner, EcoWaste Coalition. “We advise consumers to be cautious to protect themselves and their families from falsified products with dangerous levels of lead, which can harm multiple organs, especially the brain and the nervous system.”
“Bosny Spray Paint has undergone and passed all required product quality and safety testing in compliance with the standards set by Philippine authorities,” said Gilbert Dizon, Director, PHSI Trading Sales, Inc. “We are working hand in hand and closely with the EcoWaste Coalition to raise public awareness and protect consumers from counterfeit products that misuse the Bosny name. We appeal to consumers to remain vigilant and to help us identify and report sellers of fake Bosny Spray Paints so that we can take proper action to safeguard the integrity of our brand and ensure consumer safety.”
According to laboratory tests commissioned by the EcoWaste Coalition, the orange red and orange variants of bogus Bosny Spray Paint were found to contain 16,400 and 22,800 ppm of lead, while the two yellows contain 28,800 ppm (batch # 502419) and 116,000 ppm (batch # 502495).
On the other hand, the orange, orange red, yellow and lemon yellow original Bosny Spray Paints were found compliant to the 90 ppm limit as per X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) screening conducted by the group.
Both the fake and original Bosny products carry the “No Pb” pictogram that is supposed to indicate the non-presence of lead (Pb is the chemical symbol for lead from the Latin plumbum). While the original products passed the 90 ppm limit, the fake ones were found laden with lead up to 116,000 ppm.
A visual examination of the canister would reveal a number of striking differences between the original and the fake Bosny Spray Paint:
1. The printing of the multi-lingual information at the back of the original Bosny is darker than the fake one.
2. The original Bosny provides for the manufacturing date and lot number at the bottom of the can, while the fake one indicates the manufacturing and production dates.
3. The word “Bosny” is embossed on the nozzle of the original Bosny and the fake one is just a plain round spout.
4. A product sticker with barcode is attached on the front can of the original Bosny and can be removed. The sticker on the fake one is printed on the can and cannot be detached.
5. The QR code of the original product has the word “Bosny” in the middle with white text and red background, while the fake one is only the usual matrix barcode.
6. The phrase “original brand since 1965” is written in front underneath the Bosny logo, while the fake one has none.
7. The plastic wrap on the original Bosny is thicker compared to the fake one.
8. The weight of the original Bosny is heavier as it contains more paint than the fake one.
However, due to the sophisticated use of imitation technology, some China-made fake Bosny Spray Paints closely resemble the original ones. For example, the yellow Bosny sent to the laboratory that was analyzed to contain 116,000 ppm of lead has almost all the features of an original one except for the “Bosny” on the nozzle.
As the nozzle is the best indicator if the product is fake or not, a buyer should check if it has the word “Bosny” embossed on it after purchasing and upon opening the product. If the product is fake, the buyer may return it to the seller as this is part of her/his legally protected rights as a consumer, and report the seller to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) for selling counterfeit Bosny products.
Lead-based paint is a common source of lead exposure among children and other vulnerable groups. To protect public health, DENR A.O. 2013-24, or the CCO for lead and its compounds, banned lead in paint manufacturing and phased out lead-containing decorative paints in December 2016 and lead-containing industrial paints in December 2019.
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Reference:
https://chemical.emb.gov.ph/
