WELLINGTON, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- Seven out of 10 sunscreens tested by New Zealand's consumer advocacy group failed to meet their advertized sun protection factor (SPF) claims, with one product labelled SPF50 providing protection of just SPF14.
Consumer NZ tested 10 widely available sunscreens. Only three met their SPF label claims, although all 10 met broad-spectrum protection requirements based on their tested SPF levels, the group said in a statement on Friday.
"New Zealand has one of the highest skin cancer and melanoma rates in the world," said Belinda Castles, researcher at Consumer NZ, who noted that sunscreen plays an important role in preventing skin cancer.
The findings highlighted the need for regular independent sunscreen testing, as there are no rules specifying how often sunscreens must be tested, Consumer NZ said, adding that previous investigations by the group found that some companies relied on test reports that were several years old. ■
