Japanese drug maker ROHTO Pharmaceutical Co and its Chinese subsidiary produce children's eye drops under the same brand name, but the Chinese version contains preservatives, causing consumer concerns over its safety, the Guangzhou-based Nanfang Daily reported Tuesday.

Rohto's Compound Taurine Eye Drops, used as an eye moisturizer for children, have been sold in the Chinese market for 15 years. But unlike the preservative-free version produced by the parent company and sold in Japan, the drops made by subsidiary Mentholatum (China) Pharmaceuticals Co for the Chinese market contain a substance that prevents the eye drops from being decomposed by microbial growth, the newspaper said.

In addition to the children's eye drops, all four remaining types of eye drops produced by the group for China also contain preservatives, the news report said.

In response to questions regarding double standards, Mentholatum and Rohto jointly issued a statement on April 10 acknowledging that the eye drops are different. The statement said the original formula for the eye drops is still used in China, whereas Japan uses a second-generation formula that has been modified from the original because of different pharmaceutical regulations

"The preservatives meet the statutory standard (in China)... And in the Chinese market, the majority of eye drops have added preservatives," reads the statement, noting that Mentholatum is also exploring the feasibility of selling preservative-free eye drops in China.

Preservatives make the eye drops more competitive in the market because they help prolong the product's effects, but overexposure is also believed to have potential negative effects on the cornea.

Many foreign countries stipulate that preservatives should not be used in children's eye drops, but due to the absence of relevant regulations in China, certain international companies have different standards for Chinese consumers, the Nanfang Daily reported, citing experts.

Global Times