The Department of Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (AYUSH) of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has published a list of approved Ayurveda, Siddha & Unani (ASU) drug testing laboratories under rule -160 A to J of the Drugs and Cosmetics Rule 1945. This follows the Centre's recent decision to make testing for heavy metals - arsenic, lead, mercury and cadmium, mandatory for export purposes in respect of every batch of purely herbal ASU drugs by every licensee, with effect from 1st January 2006.

The list of approved labs include Varun Herbals Pvt. Ltd., Hyderabad, Sipra Labs Pvt. Ltd., Hyderabad, Captain Srinivasa Murti Drug Research Institute for Ayurveda (CCRAS) at Arumbakkam, Chennai, Sowparnika Herbal Extracts & Pharmaceuticals Pvt. Ltd., SIDCO Industrial Estate, Chennai, Regional Research Laboratory (CSIR), Jammu, ARBRO Pharmaceuticals Ltd., New Delhi, Shriram Institute for Industrial Research, Bangalore, Bangalore Test House, Bangalore, FRLHT at Yelahanka near Bangalore, M.S. Ramaiah Drugs and Allied Products Testing Laboratories, Bangalore.

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