Another sample of Coldrif syrup, the pediatric medicine allegedly responsible for the deaths of 23 children in Chhindwara, has failed laboratory testing at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) facility in Eidgah Hills, Bhopal. The failed sample was collected from Jabalpur and belongs to the same batch previously flagged for substandard quality in Chhindwara.

 

Food and Drug Controller Dinesh Shrivastava confirmed that this brings the total number of failed samples from the batch to four, all of which have been found to contain hazardous substances.

 

“The Jabalpur sample reinforces our concern that the entire batch is toxic and unfit for consumption,” Shrivastava said. Following the Chhindwara tragedy, the FDA launched a State-wide crackdown, collecting 254 syrup samples from various districts across Madhya Pradesh. Shrivastava added that the department is receiving three to four lab reports daily, with over 35 reports submitted so far.

 

The presence of toxic compounds in multiple samples has raised serious questions about pharmaceutical oversight and batch-level quality control. Authorities are expected to take stringent action against the manufacturer once the full set of reports is compiled.The tragic deaths have sparked public outrage and renewed calls for stricter drug safety protocols. The FDA continues to monitor the situation closely, with further reports anticipated in the coming days.