At least 40 per cent of Ayurveda products, including Baba Ramdev’s Patanjali products, were found to be of poor quality by Haridwar’s Ayurveda and Unani office, a Right to Information (RTI) reply revealed.
According to a Hindustan Times report, of the 82 samples collected between 2013 and 2016, 32 failed the quality test. Divya Amla Juice and Shivlingi Beej of Patanjali were among the products that failed to meet the quality standards.
In April this year, the armed forces’ Canteen Stores Department (CSD) had suspended the sale of of Patanjali’s amla juice after it ‘failed’ a quality test carried out at West Bengal Public Health Laboratory.
According to the report, the pH value- which measures the alkalinity of water soluble substances- was found to be less than the prescribed limit in the amla juice.
Products with pH value less than seven could lead to acidity and other medical complications. The RTI reply also revealed that 31.68% of foreign matter was found in the Shivlingi Beej.
Following the report, Acharya Balkrishna, Managing Director Patanjali, rubbished all reports and claimed that Shivlingi Beej is a natural seed and cannot be adulterated. He said that the report was an attempt to malign Patanjali’s image.
Apart from Patanjali, 18 samples of Ayurveda drugs such as Avipattikara Churna, Talisadya Churna, Pushyanuga Churna, Lavan Bhaskar Churna, Yograj Guggulu, Laksha Guggulu were found to be substandard.
The drugs were reportedly supplied only after Uttrakhand Ayush wing’s approval. Ayush minister Harak Singh Rawat said the department was in the process of carrying out more regular tests to ensure product quality.
