SPANISH supermarket Mercadona has taken 11 cosmetic products off its shelves after they were found to have links to cancer.

The chain recalled the Deliplus and Solcare products, including moisturisers and after-sun lotions, after it was found two of the ingredients could produce a substance linked with causing cancerous tumours.

When used simultaneously the two ingredients, triethanolamine which controls pH, and the preservative bronopol, can form the carcinogenic substance nitrosamine.

The Health Ministry has declined to issue a health warning and has reassured the public the products ‘do not pose any risk to the health of users’.

It comes after the Spanish Agency of Medicines and Health Products (AEMPS) conducted a routine product assessment and found the combination of ingredients went against current legislation.

The small amounts of these ingredients used in the product means it is unlikely it will cause any harm but the manufacturer has decided to change the formula.

Meanwhile Mercadona confirmed ‘there is no evidence these products were harmful to health’ and that it had chosen voluntarily to withdraw the products.

Customers can return the products in exchange for a new one or get their money back.

The supermarket has also set up a telephone number for anyone wanting further information: 902 548 222.

The products affected are:

Solcare locion after sun hidratante
Solcare locion after sun luminosidad
Solcare gel after sun aloe vera
Deliplus nutritiva corporal con aceite de oliva
Deliplus crema de manos nutritiva
Deliplus hidratante corporal con aloe
Deliplus hidratante corporal efecto luminosidad
Deliplus hidrantante corporal reafirmante
Deliplus hidratante antisequedad para pies
Deliplus nutritiva corporal con almendras
Deliplus hidratante corporal pieles atopicas

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16 COMMENTS

  1. Agreed! How can one come out saying responsibly that they have been selling this stuff and the other saying “the products ‘do not pose any risk to the health of users’?Its either one or the other, cant be both.

    I’ve seen one or two of those products in my shopping basket before this was announced. Sheesh!

  2. Natural healthy products are more expensive but is is our health we are looking at. I happen to be in the beauty and health business and people tell me they by the equivalent products in Mercadona for much less. They do not!!! What they buy is pure poison that they personally spread daily on their skin.
    Then all we hear that the sun gives as skin cancer, there is some truth in it but the blame is to be shared with the all the other non free range and non preservatives free products on the shelves.
    whats cheep always turns out to be at least twice more expensive and in this case even harmful.
    as they say if is too good to be true its because it id too good to be true.

  3. I wouldnt go down the road of saying all of Mercadona’s products are not good. To be fair I’ve been shopping there for years and I like their products. They are in general good quality for money. In fact their fresh fish and meats compare very favourably both in prices and quality with anything I have found anywhere else.

    Cant argue about how they treat their employees because Ive never asked, but seeing the unprecedented loyalty of at least one of them on TV recently they cant be that bad.

    As to the beauty products, whichever lab was used in the first place to certify the above mentioned products as safe would be a no go area for me if I were one of their directives.

  4. For good customer service, morals and legal protection, Mercadona did the prudent thing. So did the manufacturer if they are changing the products’formulas based on safety information they have. If just a few adults or children come down with some form of cancer – having used these products – they’re going to sue the Government?…. sure!

  5. Becky its all a queston of pounds, shillings and pence, in this case euros, and how much you can afford to pay. I am sure those buying these products would much rather get the supposedly healthier, no-preservatives, free range goods, but like I said no everyone can afford them. Maybe if the producers of these alternatives went down a tad in their profits it would allow for other lesser mortals to avail themselves as well. But then again it could be they cant because they may be costlier to produce and if they do they would be forced to be less “healthy” so its all back to the beginning again isnt it? World we live in!

  6. Thanks for your reply, I agree that healthy products are often out of reach for most people, I face it daily with my business, in fact i have made the conscious decision that more than a business it is a mission as i am educating and helping people with information on the healthy and organic, natural option.
    then again there is an other part of society that decides not to by healthily though they can afford it, those are the once that buy the well known brands, don’t ask what`s in them but are more interested in how quickly they can get results. Often they spend much more than the ones option for health.
    But i guess there is a bit of everything.
    What is insane is that what once was the only option now we have to pay top Dollars for. Where and when I grow up it was all produced locally and naturally.
    i worry for this and the generations to come.

  7. Education is key we have to be thankful at least in this generation we can research the products ourselves and check out the ingredients.
    As you say Fulvia sometimes products are out of reach but its also about educating as many people as possible!

  8. I was @ Mercadona in Marbella this am and spoke to my friend that works there as supervision in the beauty and health section, She tells me that the products were actually upgraded in June, so what has been on the shelves since then is the new version, people have been alarmed now by the news but in reality there is nothing to worry about.
    I hope this is of help.

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