The union health ministry will soon constitute an expert committee for examination and generation of scientific opinion on the issue of banning of packaging of pharmaceutical products in Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) bottles and plastic bottles due to public health and environmental hazard.

The issue of banning of PET and plastic bottles for packaging of pharmaceutical products was taken up by the Drugs Technical Advisory Board (DTAB) in its meeting held on May 16 this year. After detailed deliberations, the DTAB, the highest decision making body of the union health ministry on technical matters, authorised Dr Jagdish Prasad, chairman Director General of Health Services (DGHS), to constitute an expert committee for examination and generation of scientific opinion on the issue before the matter is further deliberated in detail by the DTAB. Dr Prasad is also the chairman of the DTAB.

Earlier, the HIM Jagriti, Uttaranchal Welfare Society, Dehradun had submitted a representation to the health ministry suggesting complete ban on usages of PET bottles (both coloured and uncoloured) as primary packaging material in pharmaceutical liquid orals, suspensions and dry syrups as it has severe adverse effects on human health due to the presence of endocrine disruptors.

Medical and pharmaceutical products, whether consumed orally by or injected into human beings, should not be made available to the consumer in a health threatening packaging. It has been stated that pharmaceutical liquid orals which were earlier packed in glass bottles are now being packed in PET bottles. Most of the cough syrups, antacids, vitamins etc. are packed in coloured (Amber) PET bottles. In PET bottles leaching take place under varying storage temperature conditions and the age of packaging. The PET and plastic bottles are composed of rigid plastic and are referred because of their light weight and shatter resistant quality.  Studies have revealed that leaching of plastic leached to contamination of stored product with the chemicals released by its packaging which may be even carcinogenic, the HIM Jagriti in its representation to the government said.