Numerous Indian herbal products and formulations are being sold in the country and abroad with the label of food supplements, and it is necessary to bring in a mechanism to ensure the quality of these products, according to Sushma Swaraj, Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare.

Hinting at the proposed nutraceutical policy of the government, the minister noted there was growing demand among the national and international community for traditional herbal drugs and products, but the quality and claims of these products need to be monitored. Many of the traditional drug-manufacturing units in the country still follow substandard and unhygienic manufacturing practices. The present drug enforcement mechanism lacks enough qualified drug inspectors. The government was yet to bring in effective set of standards and guidelines to ensure quality and certify the products, noted the minister, while inaugurating the new building of the Regional Research Institute of Unani Medicine, Chennai.

The department of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy (AYUSH) has taken up work for finalizing pharmacopical standards for ISM drugs, involving 32 state drug laboratories in the country. Regional laboratories having adequate infrastructure have been directed to issue special quality certification to traditional drugs as per the provisions of Drugs and Cosmetics Act.

Since the states were the licensing and implementing authorities, respective states should encourage improving the basic infrastructure for drug standardization and quality assurance, especially for quality testing of ISM drugs and products. Manufacturers should be encouraged to send their products for quality testing which would ultimately help them to popularize traditional drugs, said Sushma Swaraj.

The state health minister N Thalavai Sundaram, electricity minister D Jayakumar, MF Farooqui, special commissioner of Indian Medicines and Homeopathy and Syed Khaleefathullah, vice president of Regional Research Institute of Unani Medicine, attended the function.