The Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) has been equipped with two modern mobile mercury analyzers worth Rs. 18 million, donated under the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), to strengthen consumer safety in Sri Lanka.
The symbolic handover took place today (27) at the Ministry of Trade, with subject Minister Wasantha Samarasinghe and CAA Director General Samantha Karunaratne present.
The new devices will allow rapid testing of mercury levels in whitening creams and other cosmetic products sold in the market.
According to the Sri Lanka Standards Institute (SLSI), the maximum permitted mercury content in cosmetics is one milligram per kilogram. However, previous CAA investigations revealed that some products exceeded this limit.
Minister Samarasinghe stated that the machines will enable on‑the‑spot testing in shops across cities, ensuring consumer protection from counterfeit and unsafe creams containing excessive mercury. Tests can be completed within 5–10 minutes without additional chemicals or gases, reducing costs and allowing direct analysis of samples.
Officials of the CAA have already received technical training, and nationwide testing operations are expected to begin soon.
The initiative aims to safeguard public health while ensuring a standardized marketplace compliant with international safety standards. (Newswire)