Hyderabad: Telangana DCA Seizes Misbranded Tablets Marketed as Food Products
Officials from the Telangana Drugs Control Administration (DCA) conducted raids in Siddipet district, seizing Metnuron-OD Tablets falsely marketed as food products or nutraceuticals in Pragnapur village, Gajwel mandal.
The tablets, claimed to contain Calcium Carbonate 500mg, Alpha Lipoic Acid 200mg, Benfotiamine 150 mg, Inositol 100mg, Chromium Picolinate 200mcg, Pyridoxine HCl 3mg, Folic Acid 1.5mg, Vitamin D3 1000IU, and Methylcobalamin 1500mcg, were classified as drugs due to their composition, according to a statement by the DCA.
Director General V B Kamalasan Reddy highlighted that the tablets were falsely manufactured under a food license (FSSAI license) and misrepresented as a food product/nutraceutical. The manufacturing was traced to Medicant Nutrients, Haryana, with marketing conducted by SiriMed (A Division of Sanus Biotech) in Hyderabad.
Under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, ‘Metnuron-OD Tablets’ must be manufactured under a drug license, adhering strictly to Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) outlined in Schedule-M of the Drugs Rules and meeting quality standards as per the Indian Pharmacopoeia (IP), emphasized the Director General.
Manufacturing drugs under a food license bypasses essential quality standards and GMP guidelines, which are crucial for ensuring product safety and efficacy, added Kamalasan Reddy.
