L'Oreal sued by former affairs director

NEW YORK, July 17 (UPI) -- A former L'Oreal USA employee filed a lawsuit against the cosmetics giant, claiming the company sold products to foreign countries containing banned chemicals.

Former L'Oreal USA regulatory affairs director Jerome Chevallier says he was terminated from his job after going to his superiors to discuss alleged illegal activities at the company, ABC News reported Thursday.

He claims L'Oreal USA sold goods in South America that had carcinogenic chemicals in them. He also said workers erased certain formulas from electronic documents to elude criticism from regulators.

L'Oreal is also accused of selling goods to European buyers that had banned substances in them.

"All the products marketed by the L'Oreal Group are in full compliance with FDA regulations, as well as the European Union Cosmetic Directive, and the requirements for safety in the more than 130 countries where its products are sold," L'Oreal USA said in a statement.

Chevallier is seeking to get his job back in addition to compensatory and punitive damages, the report said.