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Delhi and Pondicherry join nationwide crackdown on toxic Almont-Kid paediatric syrup
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Peethaambaran Kunnathoor, Chennai
January 16 , 2026
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The drug control authorities in the National Capital Territory of Delhi and the Union Territory of Pondicherry have issued a coordinated urgent recall for a batch of paediatric medication found to be contaminated with a lethal industrial chemical.
Following extensive laboratory analysis, the syrup ‘Almont-Kid’ (Batch No. AL-24002) was declared ‘Not of Standard Quality’ due to the presence of ethylene glycol (EG). This toxic substance, strictly prohibited in pharmaceutical products, can cause catastrophic health failures, including acute kidney injury and even death, particularly in young children.
Operating from its headquarters in Karkardooma, the Delhi drugs control department has mobilized inspectors across all eleven districts to ensure the contaminated medicine is removed from circulation. Simultaneously, the department of drugs control in Pondicherry sounded its own alarm on January 12, after testing at the Central Drugs Laboratory in Kolkata revealed that the syrup contained EG at a staggering level of 1.4876 per cent w/w. This concentration is nearly 15 times higher than the globally recognized safety limit of 0.1 per cent, effectively transforming the medicine into a potent poison.
To maximize the speed of the recall, the drug regulatory body is working in close coordination with the Retail Distribution Chemist Alliance (RDCA) in the National Capital. In Delhi, the RDCA issued a formal directive to all member pharmacists to freeze existing stock of the affected batch immediately. By using this expansive trade network, the department has ensured that the notification reaches thousands of local chemists faster than traditional administrative channels, effectively locking down the product at the point of sale before further doses can be administered.
The synchronization between Delhi and Pondicherry is anchored by the Rapid Alert System of the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO), which classifies ethylene glycol contamination as a Class I Recall. This classification triggers a mandatory national protocol requiring all state drug controllers to initiate action within 24 to 72 hours of the laboratory report. By channelling these alerts through a centralized digital portal, the authorities ensure that the recall is not just a series of isolated local actions, but a unified inter-state net designed to prevent the leakage of toxic batches from one region's market into another.
The contamination of Almont-Kid Syrup, manufactured by the Bihar-based Tridus Remedies, has raised serious concerns regarding pharmaceutical supply chain integrity. In Pondicherry, regulators led by drug controller Dr. E. Anandakrishnan discovered additional catastrophic quality failures, the syrup failed its ‘Assay’ test, containing only 21.425% of the claimed active ingredient, montelukast sodium. Furthermore, physical inspections identified white crystalline, undissolved particles at the bottom of the bottles, highlighting a total breakdown in manufacturing safety standards.
In a proactive move to safeguard the community in the National Capital, Sandeep Nangia, president of the RDCA, has emphasized that the safety of children remains the organization's highest priority. Under this RDCA initiative, Nangia has instructed all retail members to act as a frontline defence by halting the sale of the contaminated batch and ensuring its total removal from shelves. Nangia noted that the RDCA is committed to full cooperation with the drug control authorities to facilitate the swift return of these hazardous units to the manufacturer, ensuring they are documented and destroyed.
Meanwhile, health officials are urging parents and caregivers to immediately check their home medicine boxes for Almont-Kid Syrup with a manufacturing date of January 2025. If the medication is in their possession, it must be discarded or returned to the pharmacy immediately. Any child who has already consumed the syrup should be taken to a hospital for emergency medical evaluation, as the symptoms of ethylene glycol poisoning, such as vomiting, abdominal pain, or decreased alertness, require urgent clinical management to prevent permanent organ damage.
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