Following an investigation by the Consumer Affairs Authority, a prominent soap manufacturing company has pleaded guilty in the Maligakanda Magistrate’s Court for producing and distributing substandard baby soap.
The company, which recently entered the market with attractively shaped, low-cost baby soaps, has admitted its wrongdoing after being charged with misleading consumers.
The investigation began when the Consumer Affairs Authority received a complaint on May 30 and collected samples of the company’s baby soaps from the Pettah area.
The samples were tested for quality at the Institute of Industrial Technology, revealing that the soap’s Total Fatty Matter (TFM) value was only 63%, far below the required 78% standard set by the Sri Lanka Standards Institute under SLS 547:2009 Specification for Baby Soap.
The court heard the case against the company on August 16, where it was revealed that the company had falsely claimed compliance with the TFM standard on its packaging.
Upon review of the evidence, the company admitted to the violation.
As a result, the court has ordered the company to halt the sale of all non-compliant baby soap bars and to recall those already distributed to shops.
Additionally, the Consumer Affairs Authority has issued a public notice advising consumers to exercise caution when purchasing baby soaps from the concerned manufacturer.
