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G.K. Nair

Kochi , Jan 4

CLOSE on the heels of the Canadian Health Department ban on ayurvedic drugs following detection of high levels of heavy metals in some of the medicinal preparations now the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) has banned at least three herbal medicine products saying they contained `dangerous levels' of lead and mercury.

"Though there are no specific federal standards, the Food and Nutrition Board of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies recommends that certain food additives contain no more than 2 ppm (parts per million) of lead and no more than 1 ppm of mercury," NewKerala.com quoting a DOHMH release has said. The Health Department has warned residents against their use, it said.

The three medicines identified by the deparment are - Jambrulin (24,300 ppm of lead), made by Unjha Ayurvedic Pharmacy and used for diabetes and sugar control; Lakshmivilash Ras (Nardiya) (14,100 ppm of mercury), made by Baidyanath and used for chronic fever, cold, and cough; and Maha Sudarshan (2,190 ppm of mercury) made by Arya Aushadhi Pharmaceutical Works and used for flu and body ache.

"Laboratory tests showed that the above products, purchased in stores in Jackson Heights and Flushing, contain dangerous levels of lead or mercury. Lead and mercury were not listed on the products as ingredients. The sale of products deemed to contain poisonous substances or to be detrimental to human health is prohibited under New York City Health Code," the department said.

It said in the past year there have been three confirmed cases of adult lead poisoning among New York City residents who used products they obtained from India.

The DOHMH has embargoed these products and ordered storeowners to immediately stop their sales. Recently, testing of some Ayurvedic preparations by the Canadian Health Department has revealed that high concentrations of heavy metals such as lead, mercury and arsenic in them, which could lead to toxicity if used for a long time. The levels were much beyond the permissible limits and the labels of the containers had no indication regarding the potential health hazards.

In accordance with the Drugs and Cosmetic Rules 1954, all Indian medicines exported should clearly indicate the contents in the display label. Furthermore, medicinal preparations containing substances such as mercury, arsenic, lead should contain a warning statement regarding the usage as per Rule 161. Of all the products tested, only four products were found to carry such a warning.

Despite the presence of lead and arsenic in a branded Ayurvedic medicine, the presence of only mercury was indicated in the label. Water and soil pollution has been blamed for this high heavy metal content.

Following the issue of notice by the Canadian Government, the Union Government has made the testing of all ayurvedic medicinal preparations mandatory. Unani and Siddha medicines would also be tested before it can be approved for export. The new system would be functional from January 1.

In addition to testing, the drug manufacturers would be required to specify the metal content clearly in the display label of the package. A warning notice has to be included if the levels of heavy metals are above the permissible levels. It has also been proposed to label herbal medicines for heavy metal content meant for domestic use by Ahmedabad-based Consumer Education and Research Society.

More Stories on : Standards & Benchmarks | Alternative Medicines

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