Food and Drug Authority officials seize disinfectant sprays worth ₹18 lakh

The Food and Drug Authority (FDA) seized a huge consignment of disinfectant sprays — estimated to be worth over Rs 18 lakh — from an unlicensed manufacturer in Sector

The Food and Drug Authority (FDA) seized a huge consignment of disinfectant sprays — estimated to be worth over Rs 18 lakh — from an unlicensed manufacturer in Sector 35 on Tuesday evening. The spray was allegedly being manufactured illegally as ‘ayurvedic proprietary medicine’ without a valid drug licence. Most of the stock seized was to be delivered in daily need stores across the city, said FDA officials.

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According to the officials, the disinfectant sprays were being manufactured by the company in Sector 35 that makes and supplies perfumes and deodorants. They had started manufacturing such sprays during the lockdown without any proper license. The officials also found the conditions under which the factory was operating was highly unhygienic.

Amandeep Chauhan, drug control officer, said that a team of officials from the drug control and Ayush (ayurveda, yoga, unani, siddha and homeopath) department was formed after receiving information on Tuesday afternoon. “We had received a tip-off, following which we collected samples of disinfectant sprays from a store in DLF Phase 4 on Tuesday. When we checked the packaging, we found that the manufacturer had pasted stickers mentioning ‘as directed by a doctor’ and labelled it as an ayurvedic proprietary medicine. These spray bottles were selling for Rs 349,” he said.

Officials said they seized 334 packed boxes of disinfectant spray from the factory. The officials said that when they asked the manufacturer to provide a valid drugs manufacturing license , he said he didn’t have one and said that he manufactured his products under ayurvedic manufacturing license but permission was for human use not as surface disinfectant. “Surface disinfectants cannot be manufactured under ayurvedic manufacturing licence hence it is a violation of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act. A search was carried out in the factory and we found various brands of surface disinfectants also. The complete inventory was seized,” said Chauhan.

Officials said surface disinfectants cannot be manufactured under Ayush license but only as drugs in compliance of section 3 of Drugs and Cosmetics Act. Dr Naresh of Ayush checked the manufacturer’s permission on the spot and said that it was not for disinfectant sprays.

Officials said a complaint would be filed before the chief judicial magistrate (CJM) after investigations. The department had also lodged an FIR against a shopkeeper in DLF Phase-I on Monday for overcharging for hand sanitisers.