Maltese women have been told to monitor any implants they might have had inserted in breast augmentation procedures, after it emerged that a French manufacturer had used low grade silicone in their manufacture.

At first it was thought that only a total of nine women had been fitted with that specific implant, but it later emerged that at least 80 have been fitted with them. This was because a good number of women included in the latest estimate, had the procedure done in private hospitals. France recommended that all women who had the specific implants put in, should have them removed as a precautionary measure.

Venezuela has even offered to replace all implants with another ‘brand’. But other places, such as the UK and Malta, have said that it is best to keep monitoring them. In other words, ‘keep checking them, just in case’.

This article is not a debate about whether or not women should get implants. That is a decision left to the individual and only they know what the procedure gives them in terms of life confidence. But the point we are raising is that consumers should be very vigilant.

Even if we were to look outside the sphere of breast augmentation, people need to be vigilant. It is becoming a trend. As the global pinch continues to squeeze, everyone is trying to reduce their costs. Manufacturers, of course, are included. Sometimes, it might be an idea that comes up in good faith, but other times, it is simple unscrupulousness.

Various standards are in place, and the European Union, in particular, is very fussy about them, but just as the breast implant case shows, it is not always enough. It should not be this way, but the consumer should always be as informed as possible when purchasing a product, particularly if it can affect one’s health.

This could range from body augmentation to medicines and appliances. It really is a jungle out there and nine out of ten of us do not even check the labels of the foodstuffs we put in our bodies, so we definitely need a culture change in that direction.

One hopes that with the issue being raised by the local and the international media, women who do have this specific implant, will head to their respective surgeons to make sure that all is well and continue to monitor the situation. A red flag is a red flag, and this is exactly what this particular find was, people should heed its warning.