A section of the major ayurvedic drug manufacturers has welcomed the Centre's decision to mandate compulsory heavy metal testing for herbal drugs. Since herbal drugs have not yet received much acceptance in overseas markets, the move would help to maintain high quality manufacturing standards as per international standards, they opine.

According to Dr. Ashok Vaidya, Director, SPARC, it has become indispensable for India to have its own quality control measures to maintain the efficacy and quality of herbal products considering the fact that many ASU products from India are being scrutinised in foreign countries for product quality. The contamination can take place at any point of the manufacturing cycle, even during the transit. It is therefore vital to control the contamination. "This move on the part of the government, to raise quality and safety norms for herbal medicines, will definitely benefit the entire Ayurvedic industry by making the products more competitive in domestic and global markets," he said.

Along with scrutiny of the products for heavy metal content, it is also essential to mention the manufacturing details of the product. For any medicine to be sold in the global markets, it is necessary to have pre-clinical data, para-clinical data and other relevant information, he explained.

According to Pulin Shroff, managing director, Charak Pharma, the notification has come as a welcome gesture to the large-sized Ayurvedic companies as it will force all companies to manufacture Ayurvedic products with metal content within the permissible levels. When the manufacturers stick to prescribed limit of metal content, the drugs will have better quality and safer for patients to use. The government should also prescribe norms and limits for heavy metal content for the drugs manufactured for domestic use to sort out the issue, he added.

The government decision is correct from the point of view that the use has not been banned but has been restricted to a particular limit so that it is safe for human consumption, he opined.

Dr. Ketki Trivedi, Ayushakti, feels that heavy metals or "Rasaushadi' are permitted in Ayurveda to certain limit and time period, beyond which it can be harmful. To extend the treatment with heavy metals beyond the permitted time period may be harmful and must be stopped. But, if Ayurvedic products are forbidden abroad due to their heavy metal content, we should welcome and support the government's initiative to make testing of heavy metals in herbal medicines mandatory, she said.