France warns of 300,000 potentially unsafe condoms

• French agencies warned about 300,000 potentially unsafe condoms sold in shops, pharmacies, and online, with risks of bursting or perforations.
• About 260,000 condoms were recalled after lab tests, and 40,000 more sold online lacked EU conformity or French labelling.
• Brands affected include Okamoto Industries, My Lubie, and Friday Bae; My Lubie recalled one batch as a precaution, with no reported harm so far.

PARIS - French anti-fraud and health agencies issued a warning on Aug 21 against tens of thousands of potentially unsafe condoms sold on the internet and in shops and pharmacies.

The agencies recalled about 260,000 condoms sold in pharmacies and shops after laboratory tests found two products presented risks of bursting or the presence of perforations, they said in a statement.

They advised people who have used the condoms to get screened for sexually transmitted diseases and take a pregnancy test in case of a missed period.

The anti-fraud agency, known as DGCCRF, and the health agency, DGS, also found 30 condom lines listed on online marketplaces which lack the EU conformity seal or labelling in French.

Of these, about 1,000 boxes, containing more than 40,000 condoms had already been sold, the statement said, adding that the platforms have agreed to remove the listings.

The warning included a list of brands of non-compliant condoms, including two made by Japanese company Okamoto Industries and French brands My Lubie and Friday Bae, among others.

My Lubie’s chief executive officer Pierre Lagache told Reuters the recall only involved one batch that tested negatively, though follow-up tests on the same batch showed conformity.

“We are talking about a medical device: at the slightest doubt, we pull it from the market without waiting,” he said.

“My Lubie recalled this batch on its own initiative, as a precaution, even though the manufacturer’s own analyses found no non-compliance. A single batch is affected, no other product in our range, and to date no harm has been reported to us.”

Okamoto Industries and Friday Bae did not immediately respond to separate requests by Reuters for comment. REUTERS