In a worrying development for parents and pharmacists, the Delhi Drugs Control Department has issued an urgent warning after a commonly used cough syrup was found to be unsafe.

The syrup in question—Coldrif Syrup, often given to children for cold and cough—has failed a government quality test. A laboratory under the Madhya Pradesh Food & Drugs Administration discovered that one batch of the medicine contains diethylene glycol, a highly toxic chemical that can cause serious harm, including kidney failure. Shockingly, the chemical was found in dangerously high amounts—46.28%.

The flagged batch, SR-13, was manufactured in May 2025 by a Tamil Nadu–based company and is valid until April 2027. Authorities say the sample was declared Not of Standard Quality and “injurious to health.

Following the test results, Delhi’s drug regulators have instructed chemists, distributors, and anyone dealing with medicines to immediately stop selling or purchasing this syrup. The public has also been urged to avoid using Coldrif Syrup from this batch, even if it is already at home.

Officials say the alert is a precautionary step to ensure that no contaminated bottle reaches patients, especially children, who are most at risk.

The warning has been issued in the public interest and signed by the Deputy Drug Controller, Government of NCT of Delhi.