Cosmetics and personal care: news in brief

Fake Nutramax supplements, Japanese cosmetics in China, Nigerian counterfeiter jailed, and fake sanitary products in the Philippines.

Nutramax warns of fake supplements on Amazon

Dietary supplement producer Nutramax has urged consumers to return counterfeit copies of its Avmacol product – sold on Amazon by merchant BluTiger – saying they may be “a threat to…safety and well-being.” The company has said it will replace counterfeit bottles of the broccoli sprout (sulforaphane glucosinolate) product at no cost if suspect fakes are returned to its customer service department. It says it makes frequent ‘secret shopper’ purchases to monitor the sale of Nutramax products.

Inagora taps Techrock to protect customers from fake products

Tokyo-based e-commerce company Inagora has started working with brand protection company Techrock (formerly Walimai) to protect customers on its Chinese channels from counterfeit cosmetics. Inagora operates an online platform called Wandougongzhu in China and also sells its products through department store chain Hankyu. Japanese cosmetics have become extremely popular in the past few years, leading some brands to limit purchases to two per person. Using Techronl’s platform purchasers can scan a label to verify the authenticity of a products and collect loyalty points.

Nigeria jails businessman over fake cosmetics

A man has been hailed for 15 months in Nigeria for manufacturing and distributing counterfeit and unregistered cosmetics, including creams and lightening agents. Ebenezer Arimiwen of Lagos was found guilty of seven charges brought by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control Agency (NAFDAC), according to a leadership.ng report. He was first arraigned in 2014 and pleaded not guilty to the charges, and was released on bail.

Counterfeit sanitary products seized in the Philippines

Boxes of counterfeit Shuya brand pantyliners have been discovered on sale in Antipolo City, the Philippines, during an enforcement operation by the National Bureau of Investigation’s intellectual property rights division, according to inquirer.net. The goods – worth an estimated P60,000 (around $1,100) – were confiscated from Misumi Direct Sales and confirmed counterfeit by the manufacturer.