Last Updated:
DEG, a toxic industrial solvent, has been behind multiple child deaths in India and abroad
Tamil Nadu-based Sresan Pharma is one of the two firms under scrutiny after the death of around 11 children in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan allegedly linked to cough syrup consumption.
The Union government has confirmed the presence of diethylene glycol (DEG) much beyond permissible limits in cough syrup samples manufactured by Sresan Pharmaceutical, marking a sharp shift from its statement a day before that no DEG was found in syrups linked to child deaths in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.
News18 first reported the sharp contrast between the results of Tamil Nadu’s drug regulator finding toxic DEG in samples while the Centre refused the presence of any harmful contaminants in the syrups.
Recommended Stories
According to a press note shared by the Union ministry of health and family welfare on Saturday morning, the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) tested six syrup samples collected as part of the probe, and all six were found to be free of DEG/EG. Simultaneously, the Madhya Pradesh Food and Drugs Administration (MPFDA) reported that three out of 13 samples it analysed were also free of contaminants.
However, on the request of the Madhya Pradesh government, the Tamil Nadu FDA tested Coldrif cough syrup manufactured by Sresan Pharma in Kanchipuram.
“The results of testing of these samples were shared with us late evening, yesterday, 3rd Oct 2025. The samples are found to contain DEG beyond the permissible limit,” the Centre’s press release clarified.
DEG, a toxic industrial solvent, has been behind multiple child deaths in India and abroad. The Jammu tragedy of 2020 claimed 12 children, while earlier outbreaks occurred in Gurgaon (1998) and Chennai (1972). Internationally, DEG-tainted Indian syrups were linked to deaths in The Gambia and Uzbekistan in 2022, prompting global scrutiny of India’s pharmaceutical exports.
Background of the Case
Tamil Nadu-based Sresan Pharma is one of the two firms under scrutiny after the death of around 11 children in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan allegedly linked to cough syrup consumption. Tamil Nadu’s Drugs Control Department had already issued a stop-production order against the company on October 3, after its own testing at the Chennai Drugs Laboratory detected 48.6 per cent w/v DEG contamination in Coldrif Syrup (Batch No. SR-13). The permissible levels of DEG is 0.1 per cent.
Regulatory Response
The Centre has now initiated a Risk-Based Inspection at Sresan’s premises and across 19 drug samples manufactured in six states. This inspection, launched on October 3, is intended to identify gaps in compliance with Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and recommend corrective measures to prevent quality failures in future. “This will help finding out the gaps leading to quality failure of drug samples and suggest process improvement to avoid such incidences in future.”
The health ministry said a multidisciplinary team comprising experts from NIV, ICMR, NEERI, CDSCO, and AIIMS Nagpur continues to investigate the deaths in Chhindwara, Madhya Pradesh. The team is analysing various clinical and environmental samples to assess the cause of fatalities.
Public Advisory
Authorities have urged the public to avoid using Coldrif Syrup and report any availability of the contaminated batch to local regulators. Legal and regulatory proceedings against the manufacturer are underway.
About the Author
Himani Chandna, Senior Associate Editor at CNN News18, specialises in healthcare and pharmaceuticals. With firsthand insights into India’s COVID-19 battle, she brings a seasoned perspective. She is particular…Read More
Himani Chandna, Senior Associate Editor at CNN News18, specialises in healthcare and pharmaceuticals. With firsthand insights into India’s COVID-19 battle, she brings a seasoned perspective. She is particular… Read More
Madhya Pradesh, India, India
October 04, 2025, 12:15 IST
Loading comments…
Read More
