Woolworths is facing a review by the ACCC over its sunscreen for kids after the Australian Sunscreen Council complained that the product is not specially formulated for children and might contain a banned ingredient.
According to the council, the only difference between Woolworths’ Kids SPF50+ Roll On and its ordinary SPF50+ Everyday Lotion is that the children’s product contains 4-MBC at 4 per cent. Meanwhile, 4-MBC is a heavily scrutinised UV filter, currently under safety review by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) and banned or refused approval in 78 countries.
The peak body has lodged a complaint with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), asking it to use its powers to compel Woolworths to hand over the evidence behind the products.
“When a company markets a product specifically for children, parents are entitled to know what that claim is based on,” said Joseph Mizikovsky, director of the Australian Sunscreen Council.
“Woolworths includes 4-MBC in its kids’ sunscreen but leaves it out of its adult everyday sunscreen, which raises an obvious question about what makes the children’s version suitable for children.”
Mizikovsky also cited findings from the TGA’s January evaluation indicating that there is no safe dose for 4-MBC.
The Australian Sunscreen Council listed a similar case in the past, in which Reckitt Benckiser was fined $6 million over Nurofen’s separate Migraine, Tension Headache, Period and Back Pain products. The products were advertised as if each were made for that specific pain, when they were identical inside.
The complaint says Woolworths’ ‘Kids’ labelling raises the same question: A product sold as being for a particular group of people without having been made any more suitable for them.
The ACCC has acknowledged the complaint and advised that it is currently assessing the matter.
In response, a Woolworths spokesperson said that all sunscreen products in Woolworths’ own brand range “meet current regulatory requirements set out by the TGA”.
