HSA rejects claim it had approved Tritech's cleaning product

Singapore

THE Health Sciences Authority (HSA) on Friday told The Business Times that it had, in fact, not approved the manufacture and sales of Tritech Group's newly developed cleaning product.

Previously, Tritech said in a statement on Sept 14 that it has expanded to the sanitiser and disinfectant industry with a newly developed product called VaVie Clean Wash Sanitize (CWS), which was created using its water and membrane technology.

Produced with purified water and food-grade materials by using electrical ionisation technology, VaVie CWS is an environmentally friendly, odourless, colourless and alcohol-free cleaning solution with high alkalinity, the water and environment group said.

It added that the National Environmental Agency (NEA), Singapore Food Agency (SFA) and Health Sciences Authority (HSA) had "in principle approved the manufacture and sales of the CWS product in Singapore as the ingredients are classified as non-hazardous and of food grade quality". In an email to BT, HSA said that since CWS is intended for use on external surfaces, to remove stubborn oil and dirt stains, sterilise, and to wash fruits and vegetables, it is not a health product and thus "not under the purview of the HSA".

In a late night clarification, Tritech said its earlier statement should not be implied that NEA, SFA or HSA authorised or endorsed the CWS product.

Tritech shares closed unchanged on Friday at S$0.014.