Lucida-DS exec smells politics behind product recall order

MANILA, Philippines - A top official of the distributor of Lucida-DS Glutathione and Vaniderm dietary supplement is smelling politics behind the recall order of the two products. Ronald Raguero, president and CEO of United Shelter Health Products, told GMA News Wednesday that Sen. Loren Legarda is an endorser of the whitening supplements and her political foes might have targeted her by discrediting their products. “Alam naman ninyo na isa sa mga endorsers namin ay politician. Baka yung galit kay senator o [yung] kalaban niya ay baka nag-re-react dito kaya medyo iniipit kami," Raguero said. (Everybody knows that one of our endorsers is a politician (Legarda). Perhaps her political enemies are reacting and we are suffering from this.) United Shelter’s president made the statement in the light of the findings of the Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD) that Lucida-DS does not contain the amount of glutathione indicated in its labels. BFAD has ordered the importer and distributor of Lucida-DS, United Shelter Health Products, to recall the product from Philippine markets. United Shelter said it would not recall Lucida-DS and Vaniderm because it is appealing for a re-test of the two products. Meanwhile, Legarda on Wednesday ordered the immediate dismantling of billboards showing her as an endorser of the controversial skin whitening product Lucida-DS. In a statement, Legarda said she wants the billboards showing her as a Lucida-DS endorser torn down “within 24 hours." She also asked United Shelter Health Products to explain the adverse findings of the BFAD on Lucida-DS. “As an advocate of consumer welfare and protection, I will not tolerate misrepresentation of facts by any importer, distributor or manufacturer of consumer products that tend to deceive the consumer," she said. - GMANews.TV