Dar es Salaam — The government, through the Tanzania Food and Drugs Authority (TFDA), needs to pull up its socks in educating the mass on how to differentiate fake from genuine cosmetics products, a local manufacturer has warned.

A representative of Chemicotex Ltd, manufacturers of 'Sweet Heart' product, Ms Mwaka Mohamed, said recently the market was being flooded with foreign originated counterfeit products, something that in the long run may have negative effects on the health of the people.

"It is equally important that people should turn to locally made products in order to boost the country's economy," she told The Citizen during the 'Sweet Heart' product promotion in Dar es Salaam.

Ms Mohamed warned that prolonged use of bleaching creams that contain toxic elements such as cortisone and mercury could cause negative health impacts, and that customers need to check carefully the labels before buying them.

She explained further each geographical location used different tests for levels of constituents of products, therefore those tested for the Asian or the European areas may not be suitable in Tanzania.