“Award-winning cleanser reportedly contains dangerous bacterium” – 15,000 Liz Earle cleansers have been recalled for its dangerous levels of bacteria

For many women across the U.K., they are going to be shocked to find out that their much-loved cleanser may cause serious health issues!

Liz Earle’s ‘Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser’ has been urgently recalled after laboratory testing showed unsafe levels of bacteria in some of the products.

Not nice…

Dangerous bacterium in the cleanser

15,000 units of the cleanser were recalled after dangerous levels of the bacterium Enterobacter gergoviae were found in the tubes. The bacterium was reported as a cause for unitary-tract infections, lung infections, and blood infections – meaning it could be very serious indeed.

What is more concerning with the bacterium is that it’s renowned to be somewhat resistant to antibiotics. In a study, the bacteria was found to be related to the E.coli strain which is found to be responsible for two-thirds of ‘superbug’ cases.

These are the potential dangerous effects caused by the bacterium that is found in the cleanser.

The European Commission’s Rapid Alert system

The European Commission’s Rapid Alert (ECRA) system allows quick communication between 31 European countries and the European Commission for dangerous non-food products which pose a risk to the health and safety of consumers. In this case, the ECRA system was alerted by U.K. national authorities concerning the dangerous nature of the cleanser. The alert (A12/1421/16) detailed the serious risks that the contaminated Liz Earle product has.

For those with a weakened immune systems, they could be susceptible to skin and eye infections caused by the use of the cleanser.

Regulations

Further to this, it has been reportedly found that the product does not comply with the Cosmetic Products Regulations. Liz Earle, who are owned by pharmaceutical retailer Boots, may have a hard time defending any claims if consumers have suffered from using the product. The Regulations seek to strengthen the safety of cosmetic products and streamlines the framework for all operators in the sector; therefore, it’s very important that such Regulations are in place to protect consumers.

Inadequate remedy

The remedy that Liz Earle has proposed is a refund of £26 – the price that was paid for the bottle. A spokeswoman for Liz Earle confirmed that the issue was confined to a single batch which was sold directly from their website. She also mentioned that it was relatively easy to contact all customers who were affected, and refunds have been offered.

For those consumers who have had an adverse effect from using the cleanser, they are encouraged to come forward to claim real compensation for any injuries that it has caused. Our opinion is that £26 in compensation for a bacterial infection that could be deadly may not be adequate…