Goree and Chandni Pakistan-made creams flagged for toxic heavy metals: How did they make their way into India?

Goree Beauty Cream and Chandni Whitening Cream, two Pakistan-made cosmetic products, have been flagged by India’s drug regulator after tests found excessive heavy metals in them, ANI reported on Tuesday.

The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) issued a public health alert on September 8, advising consumers not to purchase or use the products. The regulator said the creams are unauthorised and do not have the registration certificate required for their import and sale in India.

The action has also raised questions about how the products reached Indian consumers despite rules governing imported cosmetics and a separate ban on the direct or indirect import of goods originating in or exported from Pakistan.

What did CDSCO find?

The CDSCO said testing and analysis found that the two products were unauthorised.

"The CDSCO, through testing and analysis, has verified that the following cosmetic products are unauthorised," the regulator said.

It added that the products "have not been issued a registration certificate for import by the competent authority for sale in India."

The products are Goree Beauty Cream, manufactured by Goree Cosmetics, and Chandni Whitening Cream, manufactured by SJ Enterprises. Both companies are based in Lahore.

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The CDSCO said the creams contain excessive heavy metals beyond specified limits, which may pose health risks, including toxic effects. It advised consumers not to buy them or use them if already purchased, and warned establishments and individuals not to sell, distribute or advertise them.

What are the rules for imported cosmetics?

The CDSCO said cosmetic products "must be safe for the public". Their manufacturing and import are regulated under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, and the Cosmetics Rules, 2020. Standards are published by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS).

"To manufacture cosmetics for sale and distribution, a license must be obtained from the State Licensing Authority," the CDSCO said. Imported cosmetics must be registered with the Central Licensing Authority.

Moneycontrol reported on Tuesday that imported cosmetics require registration before being brought into India, while domestic cosmetics require a licence from the relevant state licensing authority.

The latest alert came after a July 2026 direction from Drugs Controller General of India Rajeev Raghuvanshi to state drug regulators and CDSCO offices to increase surveillance. The July circular noted that imported cosmetics were being sold domestically without valid registration certificates.

Pakistan-origin goods are banned

The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) prohibited the direct or indirect import or transit of goods originating in or exported from Pakistan on May 2, 2025, until further orders.

Despite this, Business Standard reported that the two creams appeared on Amazon, Flipkart, Meesho, Tata 1mg and Snapdeal. Some listings reportedly described them as "Made in India", while manufacturer, seller or packer details were not always available.

An Amazon Goree listing, later removed, identified India as the country of origin and named Neha Organic as manufacturer and packer.

An Amazon spokesperson told Business Standard that Amazon.in is an online marketplace where independent third-party sellers list products. The spokesperson said sellers must comply with Indian laws and Amazon policies and that the company removes non-compliant listings following directions from relevant regulatory authorities.

How could the products have entered India?

Regulatory experts have raised the possibility that the products were routed through third countries.

Rishi Agrawal, co-founder and CEO of TeamLease RegTech, told Business Standard that Pakistani products could potentially reach India through countries such as the UAE or Nepal.

"Many companies from Pakistan might be using distribution networks to reroute their products to India from friendlier countries such as the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Nepal," Agrawal said.

A retired drug inspector, speaking anonymously to Business Standard, suggested import documents could potentially be manipulated to show another country as the origin after limited processing there. These suggestions do not establish how the creams actually entered India.

What happened to the listings?

Amazon removed the Goree listing after determining that the country-of-origin information was incorrect.

A person familiar with developments at Flipkart told Business Standard that the platform had flagged the company and was examining whether the products breached its rules.

A Meesho executive said the product may have bypassed an earlier delisting exercise because India had been entered as its country of origin. It was subsequently removed.

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What consumers should check

The CDSCO has advised consumers to buy authorised cosmetics and check labels for the manufacturing licence number, manufacturer's details, batch number, manufacturing and expiry dates, and, for imported products, the registration number.

It said consumers should not purchase the two products or "not to use such & similarly named cosmetic products if purchased."

Violations should be reported to the respective State Drugs Controller for products manufactured in India and the Drugs Controller General (India) for imported cosmetics. CDSCO has also instructed enforcement authorities to ensure the products are not sold in their jurisdictions.

Calls for tighter enforcement

Agrawal told Business Standard that regulators should maintain lists of cosmetics and pharmaceutical distributors and retailers so warnings reach businesses across the supply chain.

"There remains an information asymmetry, where important regulatory messages do not get through the last rung of distributors," he said.

He also called for strong action against retailers and e-commerce platforms continuing to list unauthorised products.

"All concerned establishments/ individuals are also warned not to sell, distribute or advertise the aforementioned products," the CDSCO said.