U.S. FDA rejects Indian consignment

By agencies   |   Friday, 10 June 2005, 19:30 IST   |    1 Comments
Printer Print Email Email
CHENNAI: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) has rejected consignments of MNCs Coca-Cola India, Hindustan Lever, Procter & Gamble and Britannia from India on the grounds that they are ‘unsafe’ or not conforming to U.S. laws. According to information sourced from the USFDA, a shipment of Fanta sent by Coca-Cola India from Mumbai to the U.S. was rejected on May 19 on the grounds that it contained ‘unsafe color’. The regulator said the ‘article appears to be, or to bear or contain a color additive which is unsafe’. Coca-Cola and Pepsi have been under fire in India for allegedly allowing higher pesticide content than permitted internationally. In May 2005, USFDA also rejected shipments of other MNCs like P&G and HLL on similar grounds. It turned back one consignment sent by HLL, two by P&G and 11 consignments of different varieties of biscuits sent by Britannia Industries on grounds ranging from ‘unapproved’ to ‘adulteration’. HLL’s shipment of ‘anti-marks’ cream was turned back on the charge of ‘CSTIC LBLG’ which means “the labeling appears to fail to comply with cosmetic labeling requirements of Section 602(a), and/or (b), and/or (c), and as identified by 21 CFR Part 701.” The HLL spokesperson said, “HLL does not export any skin care products, leave aside anti-marks cream, to the U.S.” A shipment of “decongestant vaporizing ointment” sent by the Indian subsidiary of U.S. FMCG major Procter & Gamble was also rejected by the USFDA on May 25 on multiple grounds including the grounds that “the article appears to be a new drug without an approved new drug application” and “the article appears to be a non-prescription drug and fails to bear the established name of each inactive ingredient...” Similarly, the U.S. regulator has rejected shipments of different types of biscuits sent by Britannia saying they had ‘unsafe additive’ and ‘unsafe color.’

siliconindia