Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir Drug and Food Control Organisation (DFCO) has banned the sale, distribution, and use of three cough syrup brands — ColdRif Syrup, RespiFresh-TR, and Relif Syrup — after laboratory analysis found them “Not of Standard Quality” due to the presence of toxic impurities.
The ban follows a communication from the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, which confirmed that the syrups contained Diethylene Glycol (DEG) — a poisonous compound found beyond permissible limits and previously linked to child deaths in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.
According to a public notice issued by the Office of the State Drugs Controller, the affected products include:
Relif Syrup (Ambroxol HCl, Terbutaline Sulphate, Guaiphenesin & Menthol), manufactured by M/s Shape Pharma Pvt Ltd, Gujarat, and marketed by Leo Life Science Pvt Ltd, Ahmedabad.
RespiFresh-TR Syrup (Bromhexine Hydrochloride, Terbutaline Sulphate, Guaiphenesin & Menthol), manufactured by M/s Rednex Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Ahmedabad, and marketed by Smartway Wellness Pvt Ltd, Sanand.
ColdRif Syrup (Paracetamol, Phenylephrine Hydrochloride & Chlorpheniramine Maleate), manufactured by M/s Sresan Pharmaceuticals, Tamil Nadu.
The notice stated that these formulations failed to meet quality standards as DEG impurities exceeded permissible limits, as confirmed by the Drug Testing Laboratory, Food and Drug Administration, Madhya Pradesh.
In a communication marked “most urgent”, the DFCO has directed the Director of SKIMS Soura and Principals of all Medical College Hospitals across Jammu and Kashmir to inform respective Heads of Departments and take necessary action.
Citing the seriousness of the issue and its connection to child fatalities in other states, the DFCO has ordered an immediate ban on the sale, distribution, and use of the listed syrups across the Union Territory. Dealers have been instructed to report any existing stock to the office of the J&K State Drug Controller.
Several other states have also banned these formulations, and some have restricted the use of all cough and cold syrups for children under two years of age.
Earlier, on October 4, 2025, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare had advised against prescribing or dispensing cough and cold medicines to children below two years, noting that such drugs are “not generally recommended for children under five” and should only be used under strict medical supervision for older children.
The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) has also issued advisories to all states and union territories to ensure the rational use of cough syrups in children, following deaths linked to their consumption in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.
Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) has expressed “deep concern” over lapses in India’s drug safety monitoring, warning that contaminated medicines could reach other countries through unregulated channels.
The recent deaths in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan were traced to cough syrups contaminated with Diethylene Glycol (DEG) — a toxic industrial solvent known to cause severe poisoning and kidney failure.
