Status: Not Approved
Chennai: Three shops in Erode were sealed, and several bottles of hair oil containing rabbit blood worth Rs1.2 lakh were seized by drug inspectors on February 5. While the shop did not have the licence to sell cosmetic products, the quality and safety of the oil as a cosmetic product are yet to be ascertained, officials said.
The directorate of drugs control received information that the shops in Gobichettipalayam were selling hair oil made from rabbit blood. “Our inspectors found that these shops stocked the oil but did not have the licence to sell them,” said Drug Controller M N Sridhar. “Hair oil is a cosmetic product and falls under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act of 194. Licence for manufacturing and selling hair oils is mandatory,” he said.
Officials seized bottles of hair oil and sent them for tests at the drug testing lab in Chennai. “Though we saw traces of blood in the oil, we don’t know the other ingredients used in the oil. We want to ensure product safety and quality control,” he said. Tests will also show if all ingredients are safe and if the labelling is accurate. Animal blood, if not adequately processed, carries the risk of zoonotic diseases, besides allergies and infections, officials said.
The department will also check with the BIS regulations to see if there are violations. “The standards don’t mention rabbit blood as an ingredient. The standards specify kinds of oils that can be blended with plant-based products. We will be checking BIS officials too,” he said.
Based on the lab report, a show cause notice will be issued asking the vendor, and if required, the manufacturer, why action should not be initiated against them. “If the reply is not satisfactory, a case will be filed against them,” Sridhar said. MSID:: 118149994 413 |