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Three of New Zealand's most popular sunscreens have failed to meet their sun protection and broad spectrum readings and Consumer New Zealand want the products recalled.
The institute investigated the country's 10 most popular sunscreens after a test this year found that the Cancer Society Trigger Spray failed
to meet its SPF 30+ claim.
The latest results showed two other Cancer Society sunscreens were faulty. The Roll-On Sunscreen SPF 30+ reached only a 28.5 SPF and the society's Sunscreen with Insect Repellent SPF 30+ did not have broad spectrum coverage that protects from UVA and UVB radiation.
And Australian-made SunSense Ultra SPF 30+ reached an average SPF of only 25.5 in the tests.
Consumer New Zealand chief executive Sue Chetwin said it chose sunscreens with use-by dates well into 2009-2010 for the tests, which were done at one of the two sunscreen-testing laboratories in Australasia.
"This could give consumers a false sense of security about their protection against harmful UV radiation."
Cancer Society chief executive Dalton Kelly said his organisation tested all its products at both labs even though this was not compulsory.
The labs tested the sunscreen against SPF 30+ and at one lab it passed and at the other it failed.
Mr Kelly said the society had been concerned with the differing results and was working with the Australian Therapeutic Goods Association (TGA) to see what could be done.
It is not compulsory for New Zealand sunscreen manufacturers to support their SPF readings with test evidence as sunscreens are classified as cosmetics. Consumer NZ is urging the Government to reclassify them as therapeutic products so they come under the Therapeutic Goods Act and tests are mandatory.
However, Ms Chetwin said that although sunscreens in Australia were covered by the legislation and had to be tested before being released for sale, they did not have to be retested.
"We say there should be retesting to guarantee that a sunscreen manufactured year after year still meets its SPF and broad spectrum claims to ensure that consumers are being protected."
Cancer Society products make up 60 per cent of the sunscreens sold in New Zealand.
"We think the society needs to take manufacturing standards for its products much more seriously," Ms Chetwin said.
"It, along with SunSense, must also urgently recall any products still on sale that failed to meet their label claims."
A spokesman for SunSense manufacturer Ego Pharmaceuticals said it had data from the Australian Photobiology Testing Facility showing that after two hours of water immersion, SunSense Ultra's SPF was 32.
He said sunscreens supplied to New Zealand complied with the requirements of the TGA.
"Ego takes the performance of sunscreens seriously."