Cough syrup row: Madhya Pradesh bans two more brands contaminated with toxic substance
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Cough syrup row: Madhya Pradesh bans two more brands contaminated with toxic substance")
Representational Image. Photograph: (ANI)
The ban on these medicines comes a few days after at least 14 children lost their lives due to the alleged consumption of a cough syrup in the Chhindwara district of Madhya Pradesh.
Madhya Pradesh Food and Drug Administration has banned two more cough syrups with a higher level of diethylene glycol (DEG) on Tuesday (Oct 7, 2025) amid the investigation into the death of at least 14 children. The drug controller has directed to immediate halt of the sales and seizures of the concerned cough syrups.
Two more cough syrups were banned is ‘ReLife’ and ‘Respifresh TR’, which were found to have DEG more than the prescribed standard. ReLife contained 0.616 per cent while the standard only allows for 0.1 per cent in the medicine, whereas Respifresh TR contained 1.342 per cent, officials said, news agency ANI reported. “The Drug Controller has ordered the seizure of these medicines and has also ordered a halt to their sale”, according to an official statement.
The ban on these medicines comes a few days after at least 14 children lost their lives due to the alleged consumption of a cough syrup in the Chhindwara district of Madhya Pradesh. In addition, eight children were admitted to a hospital. Previously, the cough syrups identified as Coldrif and Nextro-DS were also banned by the Madhya Pradesh Food and Drug Administration in connection with the incident.
Coldrif cough syrup banned in 4 states
Coldrif cough syrup was banned in Punjab, Tamil Nadu and Kerala, along Madhya Pradesh. Meanwhile, a public alert was issued in Telangana regarding Coldrif cough syrup.
The Union Health Ministry stated that samples of Coldrif cough syrup, manufactured by Sresan Pharma in Tamil Nadu, contained diethylene glycol (DEG). This toxic industrial chemical is harmful even in small quantities. "The samples are found to contain DEG beyond the permissible limit," the ministry statement said.
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Officials reported that samples of the drug detected 48.6 per cent diethylene glycol in the syrup, which is a highly toxic substance. The Drug Testing Laboratory in Tamil Nadu's Chennai, declared "Not of Standard Quality", which was confirmed by the state Directorate of Drug Control after a sample of the syrup, tested by the government drug analyst.
